Let Your Heart Guide You
by Nimbus01
Summary: Littlefoot and Fyn were always good friends, but what caused them to become best friends? When a meteor shower decimates the Great Valley, someone close to Fyn becomes a casualty. Now, with food running scarce and time short, Fyn must make a choice, which will impact both himself and Littlefoot in ways they cannot possibly imagine!
1. Prologue

_Let Your Heart Guide You_

Space. The pitch-blackness, the silence, the harsh cold, the unforgiving _deadness. _An environment unfriendly to anything living, to be sure. This is where our story begins. One could argue that the forging of the true, deep, undying friendship of Littlefoot and Fyn began here, in this most inhospitable of environments, with the start of a single event- an event which triggered the greatest catastrophe, and possibly the most trying times the Great Valley ever knew. It started out small, almost insignificant, but gradually grew, as all things do, into the problem that would soon face the Great Valley.

The sequence of events started with a collision: two chunks of space-rock colliding on their paths through the galaxy smashed together silently, but with a magnificent visual display nonetheless- if anyone had been around to see it. When the rock behemoths crashed together, chunks of rock spewed out in all directions with fantastic speed, unhindered by any force, but guided by their own inertia. It was one such fragment- one the size of a small mountain- which, because of this collision, sped off on a new course.

This chunk of rock flew on through space, diverting slightly when it hit other debris, but mostly staying true to its original course. It was inanimate, cold, unfeeling, unable to realize the potential destruction it could bring, or the three lives it would directly impact. Its time had not come yet, but very soon, this seemingly insignificant speck in the cosmos would set in motion a massive chain of events on a small planet only a few million years old, in one location in particular.

The planet was our own; its inhabitants at the time were dinosaurs.

And the location was a place- a paradise- known as the Great Valley.

**I do what I want! **

**Yes, I just released the prologue for my next story, and yes, it was kind of a mean thing to do, but I had to do _something _while I was just sitting here in an empty house waiting to catch my plane for USAFA. Anyway, I do believe this is the first time I started a story in outer space. Pretty fun take, if I do say so myself. Also, I tended to use modern terms in the beginning, just to try something new (plus, how many times can you say "flying rock" before it just gets old? Trust me, that term will be used _plenty _in time). At any rate, I will get back to this as soon as I get a bit of sanity back after BCT. Until then, wish me luck.**

**By the way, this is a Littlefoot _and Fyn _fic. You can't put "OC" down as a featured character, so I had to make do with monsieur Littlefoot. Also, this story's going to be much longer than my others, so don't expect the action to happen immediately. I'm shooting for "small book" length on this one.**

**See you in six weeks, and may the Bright Circle always guide your path!**


	2. Chapter 1: Star Day

_Part 1: When the Stars Fall_

_Chapter 1: Star Day_

As it did every day, the Bright Circle rose once again over the Great Valley, its rays of light catching the fast-disappearing dew on the grass. Slowly, it climbed, brightening as it seemed to scale the Great Wall itself, the wall of mountains that encircled and protected the Valley. As it moved along its ever-unchanging path, the Bright Circle ushered in the new day, and brought with it the sounds of awakening. A morning in the Great Valley was truly a spectacle for the eyes and ears. One could hear creatures of every kind stirring and calling to one another as they prepared to go about another peaceful day, and when they began to gather and spread throughout the Valley, one could truly appreciate the sight: so many diverse creatures all living together- eating together, drinking together, playing together- the sight was awe-inspiring, and did nothing if not stir the soul.

Joining the dinosaurs rising from slumber was Fyn, a Fin-Neck approaching his twelfth season. From his waking moment, Fyn was filled with anticipation. Today was to be his Star Day- a celebration which took place on the exact day of his birth each season. His father had hinted that something unique was in store for him during this particular Star Day, and Fyn could barely contain his excitement at finding out what it was.

As he rose up from his nest (which was definitely getting too small, he'd decided) Fyn greeted the new day with a sigh of complete happiness. Soon, so soon, he'd know exactly what his father would have in store for him. He shook and stretched, basking in the warm morning sun.

"_Won't be able to enjoy that for much longer," _he reminded himself, "_the Cold Time's coming soon." _

Deciding to let the rest of his family slumber on, Fyn decided to consider his options. His friends would be up soon, he knew. Littlefoot had a habit of going down to the lake early in the morning, and was probably there now. Or, for a change, he could visit Chomper and Ruby in their cave. As he tried to make up his mind, Fyn felt his stomach rumbling.

"On second thought," he said aloud, talking to himself as he tended to do when he was excited about something, "maybe my decision can wait until _after _breakfast."

Fyn lumbered off towards a stand of Treestar trees. Pausing at the base of one, he stretched upwards and snapped off a few of the succulent leaves, chewing them and savoring their sweet juices. There was truly no better way to wake up. As he chewed, his mind began to wander again, thinking of what else could possibly make this day better; it had already gotten off to a pretty good start, and as his mind wandered, he began to lose his awareness of his surroundings.

Which set him up perfectly for what was about to happen next.

...

The Threehorn stealthily peeked out of the bushes she was hiding behind. From where she was standing, Fyn looked completely oblivious. Perfect. She turned her head and motioned for someone behind her to come forward. Sure enough, a Swimmer took her place by the Threehorn's side, also hidden. The Threehorn nodded, acknowledging her presence, then made a quick glance out of her hiding place and across to the trees where Fyn was standing. In hindsight, this really had been the perfect trap, and Fyn had fallen right into it. She peered into the trees next to Fyn. Soon.

High above, a Flyer was also circling, watching Fyn closely. This was his only task, and from his vantage point, he was good at it. When he felt Fyn was comfortably in place, he waved to the trees surrounding the Fin-Neck and nodded. Time to put the plan into action.

In the trees flanking Fyn, a Sharptooth, a Spiketail, and a Fastrunner all saw Petrie's signal. Everything was clear. The Sharptooth tensed his muscles, ready to move. The entire plan rested on the only dinosaur left.

In the trees in front of Fyn, the Longneck remained frozen, scarcely daring to breathe. Surprise would be paramount here, and any movement might give away his position. He silently praised the trees' thickness, as they covered him to the point that he could hold his face about a Fastrunner's length away from Fyn's without being seen. Looking over at the bushes, he saw the Threehorn nod. It was now or never. It was time to act.

Fyn, still waking up and oblivious as he was, had absolutely no idea what had hit him. The "attack" came from all sides with precision that would have shamed a Fast Biter pack. The Longneck burst out of the trees in front of Fyn first, catching him completely off guard and pushing him back toward the second surprise: the Threehorn and Swimmer who were standing behind him, while the Flyer swooped down from the side, and the Fastrunner, Sharptooth, and Spiketail all bounded in from the sides. At the same time, every dinosaur let out a hearty "happy Star Day, Fyn!" The attackers, of course, were his friends- Littlefoot the Longneck, Cera the Threehorn, Petrie the Flyer, Ducky the Swimmer, Spike the Spiketail, Chomper the Sharptooth, and lastly, Ruby the Fastrunner.

Fyn shook his head in surprise. He certainly hadn't expected this.

"Guys?" he asked, "what's-?"

He stopped mid-sentence and smiled brightly. "Thanks, everyone. I wasn't expecting such a nice greeting."

"Well, it's your twelfth Star Day," said Littlefoot, "That's a pretty important one."

"It is," said Ducky, "Remember Ruby's twelfth Star Day last season?" The others nodded and smiled.

"That was something," Cera said, "I can still remember walking the Great Wall. That was a fun day."

"What do you think you'll get to do, Fyn?" Ruby asked.

Fyn thought hard, squinting as he tried to concentrate, trying to recall if either of his parents had dropped any hints; they hadn't.

"I really don't know," he said, "just that it's going to be unlike anything I've ever done before."

"That sound neat," Petrie said, settling on a stump. "Maybe it a journey to some neat place."

"Or perhaps you'll get to meet someone important," Ducky chimed in.

"Maybe your parents will just do a lot of really nice things for you," Chomper added helpfully.

"If it was _my _twelfth Star Day," Cera said in her usual superior tone, "I'd want to climb Threehorn peak."

"Why?" Littlefoot asked.

"_Why?" _Cera asked, seemingly offended, "Why not? It's a huge mountain that looks like a Threehorn! It's perfect for me!"

"Good point," Fyn said. Cera glared.

"I mean not in a _bad _way!" Fyn quickly added, attempting to save his hide.

"Everyone knows Threehorns are the strongest there are," Cera continued. "I could do it."

"I'm sure you could," Ducky said, ending the conversation before it got out of hand. Fyn finished his morning meal and stared out into the Valley surrounding him.

"Honestly, I have no idea what's going to happen later, but if it's a surprise, then it's a surprise. Let's do something else so I can take my mind off of it. Anyone want to play a game?"

The suggestion was met with enthusiasm. "How about hide and seek?" Ruby offered.

"Sounds good to me," Littlefoot said, "everyone else?"

Nods and murmurs of consent confirmed it. The game was about to begin.

"Alright, then," Cera said, "since it's Fyn's Star Day, he's 'it'."

Before Fyn could open his mouth to speak, his friends were already gone, with Chomper calling "the lake's the boundary. No farther than the lake!"

"Alright, then," Fyn said, watching his friends quickly disappear. He turned his back, put his head to a tree trunk, closed his eyes, and started counting.

…

Not far away, Labon and Keva, Fyn's parents, watched their son and his friends playing. Keva was smiling warmly, touched by the sight of the friends together. Labon, on the other hand, was observing the festivities with a grim, expressionless face. It wasn't long before Keva noticed him.

"Labon," she said, "is something on your mind?"

Labon didn't answer, still closely watching his son.

"Labon," Keva repeated, "what's the matter?"

"Starfall," Labon said evenly, without any trace of emotion. Keva's eyes widened.

"My goodness," she said, "I almost forgot about that. This is his twelfth Star Day, and he's still in line as the next herd leader. That means his Starfall is coming."

Labon nodded. "Soon. The day after his Star Day, in fact. Tomorrow."

"Is he ready?" Keva asked, somewhat anxiously.

"Oh, I know he's ready," Labon said, "but it's going to be hard... for _both_ of us."

Keva sighed, "I know Starfall is steeped in seasons of tradition, but this is the first time it's been done father to son. Couldn't it just be made a little-?"

"No, absolutely not," Labon cut her off before she could finish her question. "Starfall never changes. I will abide by my duties, no matter who else is involved." When he finished his statement, he looked up at Fyn, then back at the Great Wall- more specifically, at one of its highest mountain peaks. He regarded the peak cooly, narrowing his eyes to block out whatever sun he could to better see it. With Fyn's consent, Starfall would happen, and when it did, he would truly find out if everything he'd said to Keva was true.

He turned back to the sight of his son and his friends, laughing and frollicking through the fertile, green fields.

"_It's best to let him enjoy this day first," _he decided, and he and Keva turned to walk back to the nest. Labon didn't look back. He knew that any unnecessary attachment to his son at this point would only weaken his resolve and possibly jeapordize Starfall. For the rest of the day, he would have to challenge himself to remain neutral. His son's future depended on it.

…

It was now the last round of hide and seek, and once again, Fyn had found himself "it." Littlefoot was currently hiding amidst a tangle of weeds, and was crouching low to avoid detection. So far, his plan had worked. Before long, Petrie had joined him as well. It seemed this was the perfect cover. Now they were huddled together, scarcely daring to blink as Fyn walked past, searching for them. Littlefoot was pleased with how stealthy he and his Flyer friend were being. So far, they'd drawn absolutely no attention to themselves. However, it seemed Fyn was hanging around the weeds often, and his presence was already unnerving Littlefoot.

"Come on," he whispered ever so slightly through clenched teeth, "go somewhere else!"

As if he'd heard, Fyn finally turned and began to walk away. Littlefoot breathed a sigh of relief.

Then Petrie coughed.

Immediately, Fyn's head snapped back around and he began to move back towards the weeds. Littlefoot glared at Petrie who simply grinned back nervously.

"Alright," Fyn said, "I know _someone's _in here."

Nobody moved, but Petrie could feel another cough coming on. Littlefoot stifled it with a glance.

"Where are you guys?" Fyn mused, scanning the area. Unfortunately for the intrepid hiders, Petrie could not contain himself any longer. This time, he let out a tremendous sneeze, which was powerful enough to blast him straight out of his hiding place. Once Fyn saw him, he immediately knew Littlefoot's location as well.

"Ah ha!" he said, "I've got you."

Littlefoot stood, shaking the plants from his back and legs.

"Yes, you did. No thanks to Petrie here."

He glared at Petrie in mock disappointment. Petrie laughed.

"I guess me just better at the 'seek' part, even if me not seeking."

His comment prompted laughter from Fyn, which brought everyone else out of hiding; the game was officially over.

"So what now?" Cera asked, glancing at the Bright Circle, which was at its highest point.

"Well," Fyn said, recalling what his parents had told him the previous day, "my Star Day celebration won't be until much later, so we've still got a bit of time left. What do you guys want to do?"

No decisions were forthcoming; no one could concentrate. The day was growing warmer, and the heat was affecting everyone. It was that certain moment where no one really wants to do anything- where one becomes lazy and bored. No one spoke for a while, until Ducky voiced her opinion. "Why don't we go to the Tree Sweet pond?" Ducky asked. Cera shrugged. "I'm fine with it. Anyone say otherwise?" No one challenged her.

"Then let's go!" Ducky said, eagerly. "What are we waiting for?"

Slowly, the gang forced themselves to move, following Ducky, who was positively skipping with excitement. The Tree Sweet pond was her favorite place in the Great Valley, and, in all honesty, possibly everyone else's as well. As they walked on, their excitement began to increase again. The unseasonably hot weather had almost robbed them of the realization that today was supposed to be fun- a day of celebration, and now they were going to what was quite possibly the most fun place in the Valley. Ducky continued to lead, bringing the gang down through a few very tightly-grouped trees near the Smoking Mountain and over a few treacherously unstable rock paths. The way the Great Valley was arranged, with mountains and rocky walls enclosing everything within, it seemed a wonder that small, hidden places like the Tree Sweet pond could exist practically undiscovered, but one had merely to look at the path leading to it to discover why. When the gang had first discovered the place, they'd had a very difficult time getting to it. The path had been hidden and dangerous. Time had not been good to it, and now, despite the fact that all of the gang was older and much more coordinated, the path was even more risky. The prize at the end was worth the risk, however. As Ducky practically leaped through the last stand of trees between them and the pond, the area was revealed in all of its beautiful splendor.

Littlefoot was slack-jawed as always. It was hard not to be, despite having been here several times before. The Tree Sweet pond was a small alcove carved out of windswept rock in a corner of the Great Valley. Water flowed into the pond from a small waterfall, which poured directly out of the rock face and flowed down into the Valley as a small stream. Everywhere, one could see Tree Sweets of all sorts, hence the pond's name. Coming here was a truly uplifting experience, and for a while, the gang just stared in silence. Then Ruby broke the spell.

"Well, come on! Let's have some fun!"

Littlefoot, Spike, and Petrie immediately headed over to the Tree Sweets. Cera, Chomper, and Ducky headed for the pond to cool down. Ruby seemed interested in getting a closer look at a few of the Tree Sweets, eating a few but mostly observing with a keen interest. Fyn decided to sun himself on a large, flat rock near the pond. Once everyone had settled in, Ruby decided to speak, looking up from her specimens.

"Well, since we never really finished our talk about Star Days earlier, why don't we finish it now?"

"What do you mean?" Littlefoot asked.

"Well, what do all of you do for your twelfth Star Day?"

Cera, after thinking hard, was the first to answer. "Well, like I said, Threehorns do something fun and challenging, like climb Threehorn Peak."

"Oh yes, and Swimmers get to eat a special meal," Ducky added. "I don't know what Spike does, but I think it also has to do with eating."

Spike mumbled and nodded, smiling, causing everyone to laugh.

"What about you, Chomper?" Fyn asked.

"Well, most Sharpteeth have their first hunt. They have to do it alone. It's hard, but it shows they're growing up."

"You're not planning on doing one of those here, are you?" Cera said, wincing.

"Of course not!" Chomper said in mock exasperation. "I would never do that!"

"Me try to fly as high as me can on twelfth Star Day," Petrie stated, stretching his wings.

"My twelfth Star Day is coming up pretty soon," Littlefoot said. "My dad's supposed to come visit. Apparently he has plans for me." Littlefoot turned to Fyn. "So what do other Fin-Necks do for this Star Day?"

Fyn shrugged, then spoke hesitantly. "I'm not really sure, but I _did _once hear about something called 'Starfall'."

"Starfall?" Petrie said. "That sound kind of spooky!"

"I can't imagine it would be," Fyn said, "it's part of the Star Day celebration, and that's supposed to be fun!"

"Hm, I guess you right," Petrie said, still not sounding entirely convinced.

"Still," Cera said, speculating from her corner of the pond, "it _is _kind of interesting how Star_fall _follows Star _Day._ I'm sure there's nothing to worry about, though."

"Yeah, of course not," Fyn agreed. Now, however, he was beginning to feel a bit apprehensive. What if Cera and Petrie were right? What if Starfall really wasn't something nice?

"Well, whatever Starfall may be," Littlefoot said, "be it fun or not, we'll be here to stand by you."

"Thanks, guys," Fyn said, "you're the best, but I'm sure there's nothing to worry about." He settled back down onto his rock. Fyn hadn't even realized he'd been standing up throughout the whole conversation. He only stood unconsciously when he was nervous about something. Why was his next Star Day making him nervous? He shook the thought from his mind and tried to relax, but relaxation was difficult now.

For a while, the gang simply relaxed, only talking occasionally and enjoying the wonders of the Tree Sweet pond, until finally, they began to notice the Bright Circle falling.

"It's getting late," Chomper observed, "I guess we might want to start heading back."

"I agree," Fyn said, but before anyone could move, a voice sounded from out of the trees.

"Leave now? But the celebration's just started!"

"What-?" Fyn looked towards the voice just as his parents stepped out of the trees.

"Happy Star Day, Fyn!" His mother stated.

"Twelve of them already," his father said, smiling, "you've grown so much."

"Thank you so much!" Fyn said, beaming. As he looked more closely at his parents, however, something unnerved him: his father's smile. It seemed forced, and fake, and once again, Fyn's mind went back to his previous thoughts of the mysterious "Starfall."

"Everyone eat!" Keva said with a grin, pulling a massive pile of the best green food and Tree Sweets the Valley had to offer off of her back and dumping them in front of everyone. Fyn temporarily forgot about his worries. The food looked excellent. Fyn looked to his friends.

"Well? Let's dig in!"

The adult Fin-Necks watched on with contented smiles as the young dinosaurs stuffed themselves on the delicious food. It wasn't long before everything was gone. When the last Treestar was downed by Spike, Labon stepped forward to address Fyn.

"Fyn," he said slowly, as if trying to find the right words to say, "doubtless by now, you understand just how important the twelfth Star Day is."

Fyn nodded.

"Do you know the Fin-Neck custom for this ceremony?"

Fyn shook his head. "I do not."

Labon tried smiling, but his smile quickly faded away. Now he was completely stone-faced. "Most Fin-Necks have the privilege of enjoying a day full of fun and exciting events-"

"Really?" Fyn interrupted, beaming.

"-But not all do," Poldar finished, talking over Fyn. "For some, a select few, there is a tradition known as Starfall."

"_Oh no,"_ Fyn thought, "_here it comes."_

"Starfall is a rite of passage only undertaken by those about to accept the position of herd deputy."

"But I thought I already _was _next in line," Fyn said.

"By circumstance, yes. Officially, no. Fyn, you did an outstanding job leading the rest of the herd here seasons ago, and if I could make you deputy based solely on that reason, I would. Unfortunately, tradition stands that you must undergo Starfall before you become my deputy."

"Alright then," Fyn said, "but what exactly is Starfall? You make it sound like a bad thing."

Labon sighed. "It's certainly not a bad thing, but it will probably be one of the most challenging things you've done in your life up to this point."

"What's so challenging about it?"

"I can't say. Just know that you will be mentally and physically tested. Starfall is essentially a day dedicated to the herd leader and the upcoming deputy. Its purpose is to determine if the deputy is ready for leadership." Labon turned to Littlefoot, who was standing slightly behind Fyn.

"Your father asked me to address you on his behalf when we last met. His herd has a similar tradition, and he asked me if you could go through Starfall as well, since your twelfth Star Day will be soon. I told him I would ask for your consent first, and that if you agree, you can undergo Starfall with Fyn."

Littlefoot and Fyn looked at each other. Together, something like this could be a lot easier. Littlefoot nodded to his friend, and the two turned to face Labon. The Fin-Neck spoke.

"Very well, we'll start this, then. Fyn and Littlefoot, do you willfully agree to commence Starfall on the day following Fyn's twelfth Star Day?"

"I agree," they said together. The rest of the gang looked on in awe from behind. Everything had happened so suddenly, they could scarcely believe it.

"Then repeat after me," Labon said. "I, state your name."

"_I, Fyn."_

"_I, Littlefoot."_

"Do now agree to the rite of Starfall."

"_Do now agree to the rite of Starfall."_

"Knowing well that should I fail."

"_Knowing well that should I fail."_

"I will never be considered as deputy."

"_I will never be considered as deputy."_

"May my actions and behavior be honorable."

"_May my actions and behavior be honorable."_

"And may the Bright Circle guide me down this difficult path."

"_And may the Bright Circle guide me down this difficult path."_

Labon stopped. "That's all there is. I cannot see either of you until tomorrow, so before I leave, these are my instructions: both of you are to meet me at the lakeside tomorrow before the Bright Circle rises. Heed my words. _You must be together. _And a bit of advice from someone who's done this before: whatever happens tomorrow, don't let it affect you. I will be a much different Longneck tomorrow than the one you see here today. Know that, and be ready. I will not lie. Tomorrow will not be easy for either of you. Stay strong, stay together, and stay committed to finishing Starfall. Goodnight to both of you."

Labon turned and began to walk away. As Keva left, she spoke as well. "Good luck to both of you. I'll see you later, Fyn." Then she was gone, leaving the gang in silence. Littlefoot turned to Fyn.

"What did I just get myself into?"

Fyn shrugged. "I guess we'll find out tomorrow."

"Just stay tough, you two," Cera said, stepping forward, her voice devoid of the usual sarcasm.

"We'll all be rooting for you," Chomper said quietly, and Spike went as far as to lick Littlefoot's front leg, bringing a smile to the Longneck's face.

"I'd guess we'd better get going, then," Fyn said, "Littlefoot, we'll meet at your nest tomorrow and walk to the lake together. It's time for sleep now." The others nodded, and they departed together. When they left the trees, they began to head back to their separate nests.

Not a single word was spoken for the rest of the walk.

…

Fyn returned to his nest, worn out from the day's events. His mother was waiting for him. She looked up from her position, laying by his nest, when he arrived.

"Hello, son," she said simply.

"Where's Dad?" Littlefoot asked.

"Gone," Keva answered, "preparing for tomorrow."

"Am I really not allowed to know what's going to happen tomorrow?" Fyn asked, settling into his small but comfortable nest. Keva shook her head.

"I wish I could tell you, but that would be breaking tradition. Just remember that your father still loves and respects you, no matter what he says or does tomorrow, and remember- he went through this, too."

Fyn nodded, yawning. "I just wish I didn't feel so nervous."

"Everything will be fine," Keva reassured him, "you'll do wonderfully. Your father and I know."

"I just wish I felt the same," Fyn said.

"Do you remember when we had to journey back to the Great Valley without your father? Remember how tough that was? I almost gave up, but I kept my eye on the goal: getting to the Great Valley. You need to do the same. Make your father proud and become his deputy. That should be your goal."

Fyn nodded. "I'll remember that."

"You'll do fine," Keva said, touching her muzzle to Fyn's, "now sleep. Tomorrow is an important day."

Keva stood and walked to her nest, leaving Fyn to sleep. He felt more reassured now, but he still couldn't help but wonder what challenges were in store for him tomorrow.

...

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	3. Chapter 2: Starfall

_Chapter 2: Starfall_

As he'd done many times before in his life, Fyn woke early, to the soft glow of the night circle. He looked at it as he awoke, marveling at its delicate beauty. The sight filled him with inspiration. Today, he and Littlefoot were going to prove themselves. He stood up and checked up on his mother before leaving. She was sleeping peacefully. Fyn made up his mind at that point: the next time he saw her, he would be his father's deputy. With new resolve, he walked bravely out into the early morning, heading for Littlefoot's nest.

…

The first thing Littlefoot saw when he woke up was Fyn standing determinedly over him. Littlefoot had barely cracked his eyes open, but Fyn noticed and immediately began to urge him on.

"Come on!" he pressed, "we can't keep my dad waiting!"

"Right behind you," Littlefoot said groggily, swaying as he stood up. He looked tired, Fyn reasoned. He probably hadn't slept well the previous night.

"_Come to think of it," _he realized, _neither did I."_

Once Littlefoot had gained his footing, he started walking immediately in the direction of the lake. Fyn followed. It seemed like his friend was ready to face the day. Fyn only hoped his assumption was true.

They had quite a distance to walk. They were in the forest, near Littlefoot's nest, but they still had to cross the vast plain leading up to the lake. Fyn decided to enjoy the cool breeze and the soft sounds of night-dwelling creatures, chattering and humming quietly. The grass felt good on his feet, comforting, in fact. He had just started to enjoy all of these small things, when he and Littlefoot found themselves on the plain. Ahead, they could see the lake, where Starfall would begin.

"Ready?" Littlefoot asked, looking Fyn steadily in the eyes.

Fyn nodded. "I'm ready. Let's get this done."

They began to head towards the lake, swishing through the plains' tall grass. As they drew closer to the lake, Fyn squinted, trying to make out a shape that had just appeared on the shore. He looked hard, and finally realized it was a Longneck.

"_My dad," _he thought. Fyn swallowed hard, not knowing what to expect. Now they could see him clearly, staring out over the water. They had almost reached him, when he turned and stared at them, sizing them up with a neutral expression and piercing, green eyes. He regarded them for a moment longer.

Then Littlefoot's and Fyn's world was turned upside down.

…

Littlefoot nearly jumped out of his hide at the next thing that happened. Without warning, Labon yelled out "_Too slow! You two are moving too slowly! Get over here!" _

Not knowing what to think, Littlefoot complied, and Fyn did the same, running towards Labon. They drew closer and slowed down, expecting to stop, but Labon suddenly took off running around the lake.

"_This is ridiculous!" _he yelled, watching Fyn and Littlefoot speed up again after slowing down for him, "_how can either of you possibly expect to get through today if that's all the effort you're going to give me?!"_

Labon was running fast now, especially for a Longneck such as himself. Littlefoot was having trouble keeping up. Fyn seemed to be having an easier time, due to his slightly lighter weight and smaller size, but he was still obviously suffering.

"Fyn-" Littlefoot panted, falling back, "I don't-, I don't know-"

"Oh no," Fyn said, tucking in behind Littlefoot and pushing him, "don't _ever _let me hear those words come out of your mouth. We'll do this together!"

Together, the two Longnecks picked up the pace and fell back in behind Labon. The senior Longneck had changed directions and started running away from the lake. Now he was leading them towards the Great Wall.

"You'd better not let me leave you behind on this run," Labon warned, glaring back at the two dinosaurs following him. "If you stick with me all the way up, Starfall will end early."

Fyn and Littlefoot shared a glance of delight. All of this could be over soon, and it looked like Labon was leading them towards a gradual, smooth path up the wall.

Then things changed.

Labon turned towards a high peak- the one he had been looking at the day before. The sight very nearly broke Littlefoot then and there. The mountain was huge. There was no way they could run to the top. Littlefoot turned to look at his friend. An expression of complete disbelief was plastered across his face. It dawned on Littlefoot that this, under any other circumstance, might be somewhat comical, but at the moment, all he wanted was to be done. Soon, they were climbing, still running. The path they were on was steep. Every muscle in Littlefoot's legs was burning, and Fyn didn't look like he was feeling much better. They were higher up, now, and Littlefoot could see the Bright Circle rising. With its light, he could tell that the peak was still very far away. Suddenly, Fyn slipped. Labon whipped around sharply.

"_Are you slipping, Fyn?" _he yelled. "_Slipping is a sign of weakness. You are weak! How can I expect to call you a son if you can't even impress me?"_

The comments obviously stung Fyn. Even Littlefoot was crushed. He'd known Labon for a long time, and he'd never heard him say anything with such hatred. He could see tears welling up in his friend's eyes, but Fyn blinked before they could show, clearing them away. He would not show weakness. They kept climbing and running. To Littlefoot, it seemed like the peak wasn't getting any closer, and now he was falling behind. Fyn didn't notice; he was too exhausted, and all of his strength was focused on staying behind his father. Littlefoot glanced down at the Valley below. The Bright Circle had almost completely risen. His friends would be getting up soon and enjoying a peaceful day. He longed to be with them. Suddenly, there was a sharp pain in his chest. Breathing was getting difficult. Littlefoot collapsed.

Fyn heard him and rushed to his aid, but he wasn't fast enough. Labon was right behind him, and he was madder than a Sharptooth in a hole in the ground, as the saying went.

"_You completely disobeyed me!" _he screamed, berating Littlefoot who was gasping on the ground. "_Get up!" _he yelled. Slowly, unsteadily, Littlefoot got to his feet.

"Don't you _ever _show weakness to me again, do you understand?" Labon almost whispered. His face about a leaf's width away from Littlefoot's.

"Yes, Lab-"

"_Do not call me that!" _Labon roared. "From this moment until I say otherwise, both of you will address me as leader." He turned to Fyn.

"I am stressing _teamwork _here!" he said, approaching his son. "You failed me, and you failed your friend by not helping him. A leader does not leave his comrades behind like you just did. You think you can get through today by yourself? I'd like to see you try!"

He backed up and addressed them both. "Today is going to be a long day for the two of you if you keep failing like this." He began to pace. "Look behind you," he said suddenly, without yelling.

The two turned around, looking down into the Valley. Labon continued talking from behind them.

"Everyone down there is going through a normal day. They will not experience the hardships or the challenges you will face today. Someday, maybe soon, many of them may have to rely on you for guidance. You cannot falter when leading them. After Starfall, should you make it that far..." he paused, "which you won't, you will be a leader. If you fail, your herd fails. Now gaze behind you and upwards."

Littlefoot and Fyn did as they were told. Above them was the top of the mountain, and Littlefoot could see now that it was a lot closer than he'd thought when he was running.

"You failed to meet my expectations, which means Starfall will continue all day. Rest assured, I never leave something unfinished. Before the day is over, you _will _complete this run, but for now, follow me."

Labon started running back down the hill. Fyn and Littlefoot shared a glance and a tired sigh, then followed him. Today was going to be a very long day.

…

When they hit the Valley floor, they continued running. As they moved, Fyn could see others watching them, wondering what was going on. He turned his head to acknowledge them.

It was his first mistake.

"_Fyn!" _Labon yelled again, "_don't you dare gaze anywhere other than me! No one but me is your focus today. Stop disappointing me!"_

Fyn snapped his head back, only staring at Labon. They pressed on, running towards a rocky section of the forest. They ran through the trees, and Fyn caught several branches in the face. Despite this, he and Littlefoot pressed on. Labon led them up to a small, rocky hill just above the treeline, and indicated for Littlefoot and Fyn to line up side-by-side in front of him. They did so.

"I'm now going to test your endurance, and how well you can think under stress," Labon said. "When I say 'Rockslide,' you will drop to the ground, then pick yourself up as quickly as possible. When I say 'Sharptooth' you will throw your tail from side to side as if fending off a Sharptooth. Am I clear?"

The friends nodded.

"We'll see. _Rockslide!" _

Labon's call caught Fyn and Littlefoot off guard, but only for a moment. They dropped to the ground and pushed themselves back onto their feet, ready to wait for the next statement.

"Rockslide," Labon repeated, calmly. Fyn and Littlefoot hit the ground again and recovered.

"_This time," _Fyn though to himself, breathing heavily, "_He'll call 'Sharptooth.' He has to!"_

"Rockslide," Labon repeated again, and the two dinosaurs went back down and up. Now Fyn was getting really anxious. When would his father start mixing things up? The "Rockslides" just kept coming. Fyn's legs were shaking. He'd never done anything like this. Littlefoot had stronger front legs, and was having a considerably better time. After the fourteenth "Rockslide," Fyn's knees began to buckle. Littlefoot rushed to his side and supported him. On the next "Rockslide," Littlefoot helped him up. Then things switched up again.

"Sharptooth!" Labon said. Fyn began to go down. He'd been expecting another "Rockslide." Labon was immediately on to him.

"_Why aren't you listening? I said Sharptooth!"_

Fyn corrected himself and stood up, swishing his long tail through the air with a resounding "crack." It was that sound, a sound only Fin-Necks and their cousins could produce, that inspired Fyn to keep going.

"Sharptooth."

"_Crack!" _Fyn's tail sliced through the air once more. Now he was feeling motivated again.

"Rockslide!"

Fyn and Littlefoot hit the ground again, breathing hard, but inspired to succeed. The process repeated for a while. Then Labon finally called a halt.

"You two have earned something, amazingly," he said, "water."

Fyn and Littlefoot both looked in sorry shape. They were breathing heavily, and could barely move. They simply nodded in understanding.

"Alright, then. Follow me."

Labon took off running, and Fyn and Littlefoot, with no thoughts other than those of the cool water which awaited them, followed. They chased Labon through the trees until they finally stopped by a trickling, clear stream.

"Drink," Labon ordered, "but only as much as you have to."

Fyn bent his head to the water and drank. Water had never tasted so good in his life. He could hear Littlefoot thirstily gulping down water beside him as well. Just as he started feeling satisfied, Labon spoke again.

"Let's go, we're moving again, drinking's over!" He took off running again. Fyn and Littlefoot could scarcely keep up. They ran farther into the woods, where they stopped at a small clearing. Fyn gazed into the forest ahead with interest. All of the trees seemed to have been weakened at the base, and not by natural causes. Someone had set this up.

Labon walked ahead and paused directly in front of the trees.

"As a herd leader or deputy, the possibility of attack by either Sharpteeth, or, in some cases, other Leaf Eaters is a very real possibility. You must be prepared to deal with such attacks should they occur. As a Longneck, your best defense is your size and strength, but that does not mean you should be the aggressor at every point during a fight. More often than not, you will need to be defensive. Learn to dodge attacks, be mindful of your surroundings, and prepare for a counterattack. Rockslide."

Fyn and Littlefoot almost didn't catch the phrase Labon had thrown into his speech, but when they did, they hit the ground and shot right back up.

"Good," Labon said, "you're still awake. You'll need to be in here."

He gestured to one of the weakened trees. "These are your attackers. They are the first challenges you will encounter in this forest, but they will not be your last. You will not let them touch you. Instead, you will dodge them. Obviously, I can't do this alone, so I have an assistant. Mr. Threehorn, will you step forward?"

Without warning, Cera's father stepped out of the trees next to Labon. "Who do I get to break today?" he asked with a malicious grin. Labon continued with his speech.

"Your goal is to make it out of the trees and into the clearing on the other side of the forest. Mr. Threehorn will accompany Littlefoot through, and I will accompany Fyn. When I say move, get into the trees!"

Fyn and Littlefoot stayed stationary as the two adults walked into the forest. When they were inside, Labon took one last check around and yelled "move!"

Fyn ran into the trees, slipping past them with ease. This was going to be easy. Suddenly, there was a loud cracking sound next to him. Fyn looked up just in time to see a massive dead tree falling towards him. He sidestepped quickly, avoiding it, but as soon as he did, another tree was bearing down on him! His father was pushing over the weakened trees. Fyn pulled himself together. His goal was to get to the other side of the forest, and that was exactly what he was going to do.

Fyn resumed his pace, running straight ahead and dodging trees left and right. One very nearly caught him in the face, but he pulled his head back just in time to avoid contact. The path through the trees seemed to go on forever. Left, right, duck, jump, turn- all of the directions were becoming confusing, but Fyn just kept going. If he stopped, he would fail, and that was most definitely _not _going to happen. Finally, just as it seemed the falling trees would never end, they did, and Fyn found himself standing next to a young, flexible tree. His father was on the other side of the tree, with one foot on its trunk.

"Congratulations, you've made it this far. Now, it's time to learn the next step: repelling and following up on an attack. Before we start, however, _Sharptooth." _

At the phrase, Fyn swished his tail from side to side, cracking it through the air.

"Good," Labon said, and this time he sounded different. Pleased, perhaps? Fyn didn't dare presume, but it made him feel a bit better.

"This tree I am standing behind is your attacker. Keep it away from your face, belly, and back. Those are all vulnerable areas. I don't care how you do it, but if this tree hits you in any of the areas I just mentioned, I guarantee you will regret it."

Fyn nodded and gave the approved affirmative.

"Yes, leader!"

"Outstanding," Labon said, then pushed the tree violently towards Fyn, bending it towards his midsection. Fyn sidestepped, striking the tree with his tail. Labon countered by releasing pressure and swinging the tree up towards Fyn's face. Fyn recoiled, throwing his head back to avoid the branch. Unfortunately, he also exposed his neck. Labon saw his chance and swept the tree across Fyn's throat. It wasn't hard enough to cause damage, but it was enough to surprise Fyn and knock him off balance.

"Do not expose your throat!" Labon said, "that is the last mistake you will ever make! If a Sharptooth's jaws so much as graze you there, you're lost to us. Sharptooth!"

Fyn swished his tail again, and prepared for the next attack. This one came for his face, but Fyn was ready. He lowered his head and presented the "attacker" with only his spines; perhaps his most intimidating feature. Labon tried again, aiming for Fyn's back. Fyn was ready again, and promptly sliced his tail across the tree, diverting it. Finally, Labon came in for a low strike, and Fyn saw his chance. He pushed himself up onto his back legs and brought his front ones down onto the tree, pinning it.

"Good!" Labon said, "push harder, finish this!"

Fyn pushed the tree even harder into the ground with all of his strength. Suddenly, there was a loud "_crack!" _and the tree snapped in half. Fyn was suddenly reminded of his childhood journey to the Great Valley. His mother had saved the herd by snapping an attacking Sharptooth's neck- the same one that had killed his grandfather. He had been amazed at his mother's strength, but also somewhat frightened. He'd never seen his mother end another creature's life. Now, he'd practiced the same. He was truly growing up.

"Good job, Fyn," Labon said, and for the first time that day, there wasn't a trace of harshness in his voice. "You ended the attack quickly and decisively. Just remember that a Fin-Neck never takes another life unless it is absolutely necessary. If loss of life can be avoided, then it must be." He turned and glanced farther into the trees. Ahead, Fyn could see a faint glimmer of light. He was almost done.

"Finish this strong," Labon said, "go!"

Fyn took off running faster than he'd ever gone before. He raced through the trees until he came to a small, steep depression. Without a second thought, he ran down into it and forced himself up the other side. It was grueling, but he kept going. Now he was plunging headfirst through vines, unable to see. He pressed on regardless, until he met his final challenge. The vines ended abruptly, and suddenly Fyn found himself tripping into a massive, deep, muddy pool. He kept going, slogging through the viscous, putrid slime, forcing his burning muscles to perform, and slowly, he began to crawl out again. Finally, he'd made it. Fyn raced to the treeline, and just as he made it through, collapsed on the ground with a shout of triumph. Momentarily, he heard Littlefoot do the same nearby. He glanced over at his friend. Littlefoot was dirty and exhausted, but smiling. Seeing him, Fyn broke into a smile, too. They had accomplished much, and as Fyn looked up at the sky, he noticed the Bright Circle; most specifically its position. It had already reached its highest point, and was now on its journey back to the horizon. Starfall was almost over.

...

Soon, Cera's father and Labon emerged from the trees a short distance away. Littlefoot saw them say something to each other, most likely a "thank you" from Labon. Littlefoot recalled his little trip through the trees. It seemed like Mr. Threehorn had pushed almost the entire forest down on top of him. Then, of course, there was the simulated attack. He'd never seen anyone wield a tree more aggressively. Come to think of it, he'd never seen anyone wield a tree in the first place. The last run had been grueling as well, of course. However, despite the fact that he was now aching miserably all over, Littlefoot respected Mr. Threehorn for what he'd done. He'd taken time out of his day to assist in Starfall, and all throughout his time with him, the Threehorn had never given Littlefoot any trouble about being a Longneck. Perhaps there was more to him than it seemed.

Labon finished speaking with Mr. Threehorn. Cera's father nodded and walked away, while Labon began to return to Fyn and Littlefoot.

"Both Mr. Threehorn and I were impressed with your performance during the forest run. This is what every leader who puts his prospective deputies through this challenge wants to see. I see an intensity in both of you. It is an intensity that cannot be quelled by hardship alone. I want to see you carry that intensity over into our final challenge during this rite. I think you both know what it is."

Littlefoot and Fyn glanced back up at the peak they had attempted to climb earlier in the morning.

"Yes, leader," they responded.

"You cannot do this alone. Learn from your mistakes this morning. Push each other and work together, and you will succeed. I know you can. You may rest here until the Bright Circle touches the tip of Saurus Rock-" Labon gestured to what was perhaps the most famous formation in the Valley. Saurus rock looked much like a Longneck, and seeing it filled both Littlefoot and Fyn with pride, "-and when that happens, both of you will run to the top of the peak. I will be waiting for you. This is where you succeed and prove to me what you are capable of or fail and disappoint me by proving that I've taught you nothing. I expect to see you both at the top of that mountain before the Bright Circle is below the horizon. Good luck."

Labon walked away, leaving Littlefoot and Fyn in silence.

"Well," Littlefoot said, "that was _not _what I was expecting Starfall to be like."

"Were you thinking better or worse?" Fyn asked.

"Better," Littlefoot said, "but I'm kind of glad it was worse. I feel much more proud of what I've done."

Fyn nodded. "Yeah, I think I do, too."

Littlefoot spared a quick glance towards home. His Grandparents would be proud if he completed this. Then he remembered something

"Let's not forget that this isn't over yet, though," he said, "we can't fail this run again."

"Agreed," said Fyn, "we'll do this together, like we did everything else today."

Littlefoot glanced once more at the Bright Circle. In a few moments, it would touch Saurus Rock. Then the final challenge would begin. He hoped he was ready. He could feel his heartbeat quickening, and his breathing getting faster. He had to calm down, he knew. Whatever happened, he knew he could finish. He repeated this thought over and over, mentally savoring it, and slowly he began to relax.

"There it is," Fyn said, gesturing towards the Bright Circle, which was now right on top of Saurus Rock.

"And here we go," said Littlefoot, starting the run. He and Fyn began to run like never before, ignoring every abuse that had been placed on their muscles, any inkling of exhaustion, and pushing ahead with determination, fueled by the intensity that Labon had described. They would not fail- not today or ever.

As they ran into the Valley's center and began to cross the plains, they noticed that many of the Valley's residents had come out to cheer them on. Fyn could see his mother and his sisters, Salde and Rya, yelling encouragement from the lakeside. Littlefoot noticed his grandparents, and even Mr. Threehorn cheering him on. All of their friends' parents were there as well.

"Where are all of our friends?" Fyn asked suddenly, panting.

"No idea," Littlefoot said.

They began to draw closer to the Great Wall, and suddenly, there they were- all of their friends standing right at the wall's base shouting words of encouragement. Littlefoot grinned and pushed harder, racing forwards. Fyn followed, and they began the climb, encouraged by their friends.

Like before, the path was difficult to tread. It was covered in loose stones, and parts of it were so thin that Littlefoot was forced to leave Fyn's side and fall in behind him. Still they carried on, helping each other up and pushing each other to go on. Now they were running hard, not even thinking about the pain, reaching for the goal that was getting closer each moment: the peak.

It was almost within their grasp.

…

Meanwhile, in the vast reaches of space, other events were unfolding. The chunk of space rock, the result of the massive collision which had taken place earlier, was nearing its final destination. As it drew closer to the small, blue sphere in the cosmos, it began to hit other pieces of debris, and fragmentate. At this point, it had reached the point of no return. Nothing could stop it now. It hurtled onwards toward its resting place, surrounded by deadly, smaller pieces of itself. There was nothing anyone could do. What was to happen next would be inevitable.

…

So close, now. The goal was so near. Fyn dug hard into the recesses of his energy, fighting to keep moving, fighting to succeed and to push his friend to succeed. The peak was in sight. Now, however, the path began to wind around the mountain. This had its advantages and disadvantages. The path was considerably less steep now, but had traded steepness for length. Breathing was getting harder, and despite the motivation they'd been feeling earlier, both Fyn and Littlefoot were beginning to grow weary. As the good feelings began to leave, pain set in. This was truly the most rigorous part of the day. The Bright Circle was almost touching the horizon, as well. Fyn was now desperately hoping they would make it in time. He looked back at his friend.

"Come on, Littlefoot," he urged, slowing down and running beside his friend, "let's go!"

"I'm trying," Littlefoot groaned.

"Think," Fyn said, "who do you want to finish this for?" Fyn himself had been thinking of no one but his grandfather, and how proud he would have been, for the past few steps.

"You're right," Littlefoot said, a new look of steely determination on his face, "I'm finishing this for my mother! Let's go!" Littlefoot took off and Fyn sped after him. One more turn to go before the peak.

"Now that's more like it," Fyn said, and smiled. They rounded the final corner and stopped; they had finished.

Labon was waiting for them, and watched as the Bright Circle finally touched the horizon. He was silent for a moment, and Fyn almost thought he saw the beginnings of a tear in his eye. This had truly been a trying day for everyone. Finally, Labon acknowledged the two young dinosaurs standing before him.

"Well done," he said, "I watched you both the entire way. You pushed each other, and you never quit. Not once." He turned again to the Bright Circle. "That is exactly what is expected of a future leader."

"Is Starfall... over, leader?" Fyn asked, timidly.

"Please," Labon said, "don't call me that anymore. I'm 'dad' again. For Littlefoot, it is indeed over. This is where his father said his Starfall was to be complete. For you however, Fyn, it is not. There is one more ritual that must be completed: a vigil."

Labon turned to Littlefoot.

"Littlefoot, you've impressed me today. You used your strengths to help Fyn, especially during the earlier part of the day, and you pushed through your weaknesses. You showed determination and inspiration. I am proud of you, and I'm sure your father will be, too. Your Starfall is now complete. Remember this day as you go forth and lead." On the last few words, Labon dipped his head solemnly. Littlefoot did the same, acknowledging Labon's gesture. Then Littlefoot picked his head up and looked to Fyn.

"I'll see you tomorrow, and I'll tell the gang about how well you did."

"Don't forget to mention how well you did," Fyn called back to Littlefoot as his friend made his way down the slope. Once again, Labon turned to his son.

"The vigil you are about to complete is symbolic. You will stay up here for the remainder of the night, watching over the Great Valley. This represents guarding your herd. Use this time to reflect on what you've learned today." Labon turned to walk away, but before he started down the slope, he stopped, sighed, and turned around.

"I'm not normally supposed to say this until tomorrow, but you were excellent today, Fyn. You listened to me, you helped Littlefoot and accepted help when you needed it, and you ignored your hardships to accomplish the task before you. I'm so proud, words can't describe it."

Now, Fyn could see that tears really _were _forming in his father's eyes. "Thanks, Dad," he said.

"I'll see you tomorrow, son," Labon said quietly, maintaining his neutral expression still. He began to walk away, but just before leaving Fyn's sight, he turned once more, smiled briefly, and left.

Fyn's heart was warmed by the sight. His father respected him! He was overjoyed at his father's message, and at how he and Littlefoot had completed Starfall.

"_Correction," _he thought, "_Littlefoot's completed Starfall. I'm not done yet."_

Fyn lay down on the peak, gazing out over what had been his home for the past few seasons. When he'd first come here, he'd been convinced there was no better place, no place more beautiful and safe, in the world. As the Bright Circle left the sky and was replaced by the Night Circle, Fyn truly felt happy knowing that not only had he finished the biggest challenge of his life, but that he still lived safe and sound in such a wonderful place.

It's amazing how easily such things can change.

...

**Well! BCT was definitely an adventure and probably one of the most rewarding experiences of my life! I am now back on (though I can't access Fanfiction as often), and most of this story is already on the gang of five forums. But that's not why you're reading this boldface entry, I'm sure. Let's get to the meat of it.**

**I purposely held off writing anything more than the prologue for this story until BCT was done, so I could get a taste of how hardship actually feels. I've based several parts of this story off of my summer experiences, and I feel they can help this story get a more "realistic" feel. Read, review, and enjoy! Prepare for numerous chapter updates!**


	4. Chapter 3: The Breaking Sky

_Chapter 3: The Breaking Sky_

Labon had returned to the lakeside, where Starfall began earlier that day. The sky was dark now, and the stars were out.

"_Starfall," _he thought, _"I'll have to remember to explain the meaning of that term to Fyn tomorrow."_

The concept of Starfall's name was simple. It took place directly after a twelfth Star Day, when the future deputy was at his or her highest state of happiness. Often, it was then that the dinosaur's deputy status was revealed. Starfall was all about bringing the dinosaur in question down from that state of happiness, and forcing them to become next to nothing, insignificant. Many of these dinosaurs had never failed in their life, hence the reason for their candidacy for deputy. Starfall taught them all what failure was like. The best leaders acknowledged their failures and strove to learn from them and become better, but Starfall also singled out those who couldn't accept failure. Almost always, those dinosaurs never became deputies. Starfall also represented a sort of passageway into adolescent years, a chance for dinosaurs to prove they were strong enough to accept the challenge of leadership.

Labon smiled, recalling his Starfall. Poldar, Keva's father and Fyn's grandfather, had made his life miserable. He glanced up at the mountaintop where his son was standing watch, and stood a little straighter, a little prouder. He'd known his son could do great things, and today, Fyn had proved that. Labon was also impressed with Littlefoot. He'd never really known Littlefoot as well as Fyn had, but today he'd shown himself to be a dinosaur of character, and full of endurance and determination. It seemed Fyn had chosen some quality friends.

Labon heard a whispering rustle behind him; the sound of grass parted by soft footsteps. He turned around. Keva was behind him.

"How did it go?" she asked.

"Fine."

"And our son?"

Labon didn't speak for a moment, recalling everything Fyn and Littlefoot had done.

"He passed. In fact, he was amazing."

"Oh, thank goodness," Keva said, crying tears of pride and joy. Labon was doing the same. They embraced, touching muzzles, then parted.

"I just wish I could have seen him-"

"You will," Labon reassured her, "tomorrow, when the vigil's over."

"I can't wait," Keva said, positively beaming through her tears. "Will you be going to sleep soon?" she asked Labon.

Labon shook his head. "No, I think I'll be up for a while longer."

Keva nodded. "I understand."

"Sleep well," Labon said as Keva walked away. Labon returned to his silence, contemplating the day's challenges, this time from _his _standpoint. If the challenges Fyn had faced had been hard, the challenges he'd faced as a father had been equally difficult. He'd been forced to yell at his son, to break him down. It had taken every bit of composure in his body to keep from breaking. He'd tried to prepare himself the night before, but nothing could truly have prepared him. He sat down by the lakeside, watching the rippling water reflecting the Night Circle's image. For Fyn and himself, the hardships were finally over. He took another look at his son's peak. He hoped Fyn was truly thinking about what an amazing opportunity he'd had today. Not many had the chance to go through Starfall, and Fyn and Littlefoot had distinguished themselves as having gone through it almost perfectly.

A cool breeze blew through the Valley, skimming off of the lake and washing over Labon. Today had been stressful, to say the least, but now he could relax. The worst was over.

...

Closer and closer the space rocks came, heralding nothing but imminent destruction. By now, the large rock was surrounded by a veritable swarm of smaller pieces, all following the same path. The small blue planet was now in sight, and still they sped on, sightless, unfeeling, with the power to cause damage no Sharptooth or Earthshake could ever rival.

…

On his perch, Fyn stared down into the Valley below, watching as the last of the dinosaurs went back to their nests to sleep. It felt... grown-up, he decided, watching everyone go about their lives, and with that feeling came an intense sense of responsibility. It was kind of scary, but invigorating, too. Fyn swept his eyes among the lush forests, sweeping hills, rolling plains, and clear blue water. Then something caught his eye: another dinosaur, still awake and sitting by the lake. Fyn took a closer look. It was his father! From his vantage point, Fyn saw the great Longneck turn to look in his direction and felt a surge of joy. He'd acknowledged him! From all the way down in the Valley! Fyn beamed. He truly had the best dad around. He tried thinking about how hard it must have been for Labon to perform Starfall, and gave up. Fyn could never have imagined yelling at his own child, if he'd ever decided to have children.

"_Which I won't," _he thought with the utmost certainty. He liked being around his friends, and had fond memories of them as children, but actually having to raise Young Ones? Absolutely not. They were too much of a hassle. Plus, he'd have to have a mate, and that was completely out of the question. Females, he'd decided from having been around Salde and Rya, just seemed to get stranger as they got older. He wanted a life of adventure, and a mate would only slow him down.

Fyn turned his attention back to the lakeside. Labon was still there. Fyn wondered briefly if the herd leader was required to sit vigil, but dismissed the idea. Knowing his father, he was probably simply staying up with his son, as encouragement. Fyn decided to get comfortable. After all, tonight had barely started, and it looked to be long.

…

Littlefoot returned late to his nest with his grandparents. In celebration of his completion of Starfall, they had taken him to the best trees in the Great Valley, where Littlefoot had gorged himself on a delicious meal and met the rest of his friends. There, they'd talked, laughed, played, ate, and had fun. The entire time, however, he never felt quite right. He really wanted Fyn to be with him, but until morning, his friend would be sitting awake on one of the highest peaks in the Great Valley. Even now, as he was settling down and preparing for sleep, the thought troubled him.

"Grandma, Grandpa?" Littlefoot asked as he lay down in his nest.

"Yes, Littlefoot?" his grandmother answered.

"Is something the matter?" asked his grandfather.

"Well, sort of."

"Go on," said his grandmother.

"Well, I got to celebrate right after Starfall, but Fyn's still up on the Great Wall by himself. I feel terrible for getting to do all of these great things while he's still not done."

"Well," said Grandpa Longneck, "Fyn's a Fin-Neck, and as Starfall is their custom, there's an additional act that must be completed. Longnecks like us don't go through Starfall, with the exception of you. I'm sure it must feel amazing to be the first of your kind to participate in Starfall."

"It is, I guess," Littlefoot said, frowning, "but I still don't feel right about it."

"Then listen to me, Littlefoot," said Grandma Longneck, "Starfall is over for you. What you do now is your choice."

"Are you saying I should sit vigil, too?"

"All I'm saying is that you are free to decide what to do," Grandma Longneck said, evasively.

Littlefoot nodded. "Thanks. Good night Grandma, good night, Grandpa."

"Good night, Littlefoot," they said together. Then the pair of old Longnecks closed their eyes and settled down for sleep. When Littlefoot was convinced they were, in fact, asleep, he made his move and began to slip away, confident in his secrecy. If he got in trouble tomorrow for what he was about to do, he reasoned, he'd explain his actions thoroughly, but he couldn't back out now. This simply had to be done.

Back in the nest, both old Longnecks cracked their eyes open, watching as Littlefoot left.

"I knew he'd do it," Grandma Longneck whispered.

Her mate nodded, "that's our Grandson, someone we can always count on to do the right thing."

And with that, the two of them fell contentedly asleep.

…

Still sitting and watching, Fyn was now fully awake. His leg had cramped miserably when he'd started nodding off due to the strenuous exercise he'd undergone earlier. Now he was fully awake, and watching over his sore leg. Still, he gazed over the Valley. There certainly wasn't anything else to do.

At that moment, a movement caught his eye over near Littlefoot's nest. Fyn was instantly alert. Was it an Egg Stealer perhaps? Maybe just a visitor? Or perhaps something much worse? Fyn had heard stories about Sharpteeth coming into the Valley. In fact, he'd seen it happen before. He'd actually made friends with one once: a Twobreed called Terra, so he knew it was definitely possible. Although it wasn't likely, if a Sharptooth _did _happen to be over by Littlefoot's nest...

Then the stranger revealed himself and Fyn breathed a sigh of relief and relaxed. The dinosaur at Littlefoot's nest was none other than Littlefoot himself. Fyn watched with curiosity as the Longneck below snuck out of the trees and began to head for the opposite side of the Great Wall. What was he doing? Then Fyn saw him begin to climb the wall, heading for a somewhat smaller peak, and it dawned on him: Littlefoot was going to sit vigil with him! Now Fyn was truly excited. First, his father, and now his best friend. What an excellent night this was turning out to be! He watched Littlefoot's progress. After all, he had nothing but time. After a while, Littlefoot had finally made it to the top of his peak, and sat down. He called out, his Longneck's cry almost mournful, echoing across the Valley and reaching the ears of Fyn. When the Fin-Neck heard him, he reared up his head and answered back. Then came the biggest surprise of all. From down below in the Valley, Labon answered both of them. Fyn felt the moment was truly surreal: the trio which had started Starfall together would now finish it together, for better or worse, although Fyn truly hoped "worse" was not an option.

Unfortunately, as always, nature had other plans.

…

Littlefoot didn't know how long he'd been sitting up on his peak for, but he imagined it must be close to morning by now. The sky was still dark, but there was an extremely faint sliver of blue on the horizon. The Bright Circle still wouldn't rise for quite some time, he knew, but at least the night was more than halfway over. Just a little while longer... Littlefoot lay down on his side, desperately hoping something would happen. Things up here were getting quite boring, he'd decided. Still, he was happy knowing that he was supporting his friend, and happier still that Labon had decided to stay awake and support _both _of them. There was something else that made him feel good as well, though. For perhaps the first time, tonight, he truly felt mature. That, perhaps, was what kept him up here and awake more than anything else.

…

Ripping across the upper bounds of the atmosphere, the space rocks were beginning their final and lethal descent. As they fell, they began to burn, giving off an intense orange-white glow and a trail of smoke. The largest rock was beginning to crack, straining under the immense pressure. It was this rock, lagging behind the others, which was to truly be the final blow in the attack that was about to occur upon the unsuspecting Valley. Slowly, the rocks fell, accelerating and burning all the way. The time had come.

…

Fyn gazed into the night sky, staring at the stars above. Tonight, they were all very clear, and he was amusing himself by trying to do something his grandfather had once taught him: finding shapes in the stars. Fyn had never been good at it. All he could see was shapeless blobs formed by connecting the little points of light, not the many creatures his grandfather saw, but it was still fun to try. As he was trying to see if a particular group of stars looked more like a Sharptooth or a Hopper, something strange caught his eye, something in the sky, in fact. Fyn had just seen it, but now he'd lost it.

"_Oh well," _he reasoned, _"probably just me not getting enough sleep." _

Then the strange... _thing_ caught his eye again. Fyn looked up once more. Now he could see it perfectly. It was a glow, orange, like himself, that had suddenly appeared amidst the other stars.

"Is that a star?" he whispered to himself, trying harder to see the object.

"No, it couldn't be," he answered himself, still whispering, "star's don't just appear. That's something else."

"Suddenly appearing" wasn't the only strange thing going on with the object now, Fyn noticed. Now, it seemed to be growing, getting larger each moment. In fact, Fyn could clearly see it now. It was an orange, burning ball, and it appeared to be coming closer. Littlefoot had told him about these. They were called Flying Rocks. He said they often streaked by overhead, but were never dangerous, just mysterious and fun to watch. The sight, truth be told, had begun to make Fyn nervous, but now with Littlefoot's words in his mind, he was feeling better. The Flying Rock wouldn't touch them, and he'd even get a good show out of it. He settled back to watch. The rock grew bigger still, until it was close enough for Fyn to decide it was about as big as he was. Just as he came to his conclusion, the rock soared by with a terrible, whistling scream. Fyn felt the rush of air as it passed, trailing smoke, and watched in disbelief at what happened next.

Instead of simply "flying by" as all other Flying Rocks had done in the past, this rock did something different. It came in low, and without warning, smashed into the Great Wall, near the Smoking Mountain with a tremendous crashing noise, followed by a burst of light. Whoever had decided that Flying Rocks were safe was wrong, Fyn decided. At least, he thought, it had been the only one. Fyn turned back to the sky, and his jaw dropped suddenly at the sight before him: not one, but dozens, maybe hundreds of small orange spots filled the sky.

And they were all headed straight for the Great Valley.

…

Labon had watched in horror as the first Flying Rock impacted the Great Wall. Now, he turned his gaze back to see the rest of the danger.

"Oh no," he breathed, and instantly stood up and took off running for his mate and daughters. The Valley had to be warned.

…

Littlefoot, too, saw the action, and was instantly on his feet. He was the first to see the next wave of flying rocks coming in. Immediately, he began to run back down to the Valley, to try to warn the others. If the rest of the Flying Rocks he saw could only do a fraction of the damage the first had caused, everyone would need to get to a safe spot, and fast. As he hit the Valley floor, he began running and yelling "Flying Rocks, everyone! Wake up! Get your families to safety!" As he passed dinosaurs, they began to stand up, angry at having been woken up at such an inconvenient time. However, most soon saw the approaching trouble and understood the gravity of the situation. They, too, began to assist Littlefoot, waking up whoever they could.

By now, Littlefoot had almost reached the lake. He could see Fyn on the other side, rousing families and trying to push them to safety. Littlefoot heard a flapping noise by his head and looked up to see Petrie.

"Petrie!" he said, "what are you doing here?"

"Asking you what going on!" the Flyer answered. Then the second Flying Rock screamed over and crashed into some nearby trees. The blast was deafening, and startled Petrie into almost falling to the ground.

"Flying Rocks?" he said to no one in particular, "I thought they only fly _over _Great Valley, not _into _it!"

"Well tonight, they do," Littlefoot said, "get the gang and tell them to wake up whoever they can. We need to get underneath something for safety!"

"Okay!" Petrie said, scooting away into the sky.

"Be careful!" Littlefoot called after him. Petrie nodded and waved his wings, to show he understood. Then he was gone.

Now, Flying Rocks of all sizes were impacting the Valley like a nightmarish rain. The bombardment was shaking the ground, and the sounds were ear-shattering. Littlefoot gritted his teeth. Now was the time to focus. He continued running, trying to avoid where it seemed the Flying Rocks would hit. Things were about to get dangerous and busy, just the sort of environments Littlefoot thrived in.

…

Fyn raced through the panicking dinosaurs, telling them all to head for shelter, all the while heading for home. He hoped beyond hope that his family was safe. A small Flying Rock impacted the ground in front of him, throwing a dense cloud of dirt and debris into Fyn's face. He coughed and shook his head, trying to clear his eyes of the dust that was now trapped in them. He blinked a few times, then continued onwards. His eyes were still burning, but at least he could see. He was glad to note that, despite the chaos, everyone was heading for the Great Wall, which held an abundance of caves. Right now, a cave was probably the safest place to be. Fyn dodged the falling shards of rock, all the while being pelted by debris, some of it still hot, from all sides. The "storm" of falling rock had intensified, and now being out in the open was becoming risky. Fyn could see the small cluster of trees that marked his home. He could even see the tree where he'd eaten his last breakfast before Starfall.

"_Starfall," _he thought to himself, a notion suddenly occurring to him, _"how ironic." _

He dashed for the trees as fast as he could go, but he wasn't fast enough. A massive Flying Rock, as big or slightly bigger than a fully-grown Longneck plowed into the midst of where Fyn knew his nest was. The resulting explosion tore up every tree nearby and knocked Fyn back with a loud roar. Fyn regained his footing and senses and looked at the burning crater where his home had once been.

"_No!" _he screamed, running towards the site of destruction, _"Mom, Dad, Salde, Rya, someone answer me!"_

"Fyn!" he heard a voice cry from a distance. Fyn looked for the sound, then almost broke down in relief. It was his family, safely away from the devastation and heading for the wall. Labon was not among them.

"Come on, let's go!" Salde shrieked.

"Wait!" Fyn yelled, "where's Dad?"

"He's out doing what you were just doing," Keva answered, "helping others to safety."

"Then I've got to help him," Fyn said, "get to safety!"

Keva, hearing the adult-like intensity in her son's voice, complied. She knew what her son had been through that day, and scared as she was of what might happen, knew her son would handle the situation well.

Fyn raced back towards the lake, where his father had last been. The ground was now cratered, and the sky was filled with the terrible shrieks of Flying Rocks. On top of it all, parts of the Valley were now burning. It was hard to see anything amongst all of the smoke, explosions, and flying debris, but Fyn thought he saw a slight movement ahead. There was only one dinosaur who would still be out here: his father. Fyn ran towards the sight, and called out.

"Dad, Dad, are you there?" Another falling rock impacted nearby, throwing Fyn off balance. When the smoke and dust cleared, he stood up and tried again. He could now see clearly ahead. His father _was _in front of him.

"Come on, Dad!" Fyn yelled, "everyone's safe! Let's get back to the family!"

"Fyn!" Labon yelled back, "don't stand in one place! It's dangerous!"

Fyn, however, did not hear him over the loud crashes. "What did you say!"

Suddenly, Fyn saw Labon's head whip upward. An expression of terror was on his face. He began to sprint towards Fyn. Fyn, of course, assumed that he was finally coming to join him.

"Run, Fyn!" Labon yelled, but Fyn still couldn't hear him.

"I said go!"

Fyn strained to make out his father's words, but nothing made sense. Then he saw his father's expression and looked up in time to see a Flying Rock bearing down on him. There was nowhere he could go in time. Fyn prepared himself for the inevitable.

"Get down!" Labon yelled, tackling Fyn to the ground. Everything following seemed to Fyn to happen very slowly. As he fell to the ground, twisting to avoid landing on his spines, he looked over his father's back. There was a flash, and another loud rumble as the Flying Rock hit the ground right in front of them. This one was big, perhaps Cera's size, and the resulting explosion blasted both Fyn and Labon off their feet and backwards. Fyn hit the ground hard and Labon landed almost on top of him. The landing was anything but painless, but at least they were alive, and it seemed as if the rock storm was dying down finally. Fyn got up from under his father slowly and looked back to the sky, hoping he was right.

"What?" he whispered in horrified disbelief. There was still one more cruel trick nature had to play. There was only one speck of light left, but it was massive. It was, in fact, the Flying Rock that had lagged behind all of the others, and the strains that falling through the atmosphere had placed upon it were finally about to take effect. There was a sudden, blinding flash of light in the skies above the Great Valley.

"Get down again!" Fyn yelled to Labon, but it seemed as if his father had already been prepared. He was already on the ground. Fyn dove to his side as the sound hit. It was unlike anything he'd ever heard before, and he only heard it for an instant. It was a terrible, loud, whooshing sound, unlike any roar a Sharptooth had ever made. Then there was silence, save for a ringing in Fyn's ears. Then came the worst part. A massive wave of displaced and heated air hit the Valley. Fyn felt it rock him, threatening to tear him from the Valley floor, but he stayed pressed to the ground. The air was hot, hotter than the strongest summer heat, and it hurt as it washed over him, but Fyn did not flinch. He watched as nearby trees were completely uprooted, and flung about like sticks, then his vision went dark. The true Starfall, it seemed, had just happened.

…


	5. Chapter 4: Aftermath

_Chapter 4: Aftermath_

_Cold and silence, interrupted by flashes of light. Shades of gray, falling flakes of something soft, flickers of orange light, giving off warmth. A smell, the scent of burning filling the air. A sound, faint and thin, but slowly becoming louder. A name, but whose? Louder, louder still, even louder now..._

"Fyn, wake up!"

Fyn opened his eyes suddenly and gasped, sucking in a mouthful of ash, and immediately began coughing. The taste was terrible: bitter and dry. To make matters worse, it was lining the inside of his mouth and throat as well. His throat burned, and it hurt simply to swallow.

"What... what happened?" Fyn croaked, standing up shakily and coughing again. He was completely covered in ash. Chomper was standing beside him and his other friends were nearby.

"Thank goodness you're alive!" Chomper said, "I thought you were gone for sure."

"What happened?" Fyn repeated.

"Don't you remember?" Littlefoot asked, stepping forward.

Fyn closed his eyes, which still felt raw from the debris that had been flung up into them during... during what? Then everything came back to him: the Flying Rocks, the fire, the explosions, his family, the Valley crumbling under the unrelenting bombardment, and... _Labon!"_

"My dad!" Fyn suddenly exclaimed, looking around. His dad had been laying beside him when he'd passed out. Now he was nowhere to be found.

"Where's my dad?" he asked again.

"He's out helping," Cera said, "in fact, almost everyone is."

"Helping with what?" Fyn asked.

"Look around you," Littlefoot said. For the first time, Fyn got a good look at his surroundings. What he saw was worse than anything he'd ever imagined. Almost everything in the Valley was covered by a fine layer of ash. It seemed the Smoking Mountain had erupted at some point during the previous night's events. Many trees were ablaze, and only a few small sections of isolated, green forest remained. The worst was yet to come, however. Fyn soon noticed what first looked like lumps on the ground, also covered by the ash. Upon closer examination, however, one's eyes told a different story altogether. The "lumps" were residents of the Great Valley who had not survived the night. They lay still, unmoving. Fyn couldn't believe what he was seeing. This wasn't how the Great Valley was supposed to was not the paradise he'd looked down on last night.

"How bad is it?" he asked finally, hoarsely, unable to say anything else.

"I don't know for sure," he heard Ruby say from behind him. "You'd have to ask your dad or one of the other adults, but it's pretty bad."

Fyn sighed, but his sigh was shaky, choked up with grief. This once-proud Valley had been reduced to a mere wasteland in a manner of moments. He simply stood there in the ash, not thinking, not moving, barely breathing. Why did this have to happen now? Why did it have to happen at all? Fyn had no answers. Finally, he turned to his friends.

"Let's find my dad and do our part to help out. It looks like they're going to need all the help they can get."

Cera nodded. "I agree. Who knows? Maybe we can fix this place up together!"

Fyn smiled, but his smile was hollow and meaningless. In all honesty, he wasn't sure the Great Valley would ever be the same again.

…

The gang approached a group of dinosaurs, huddled together in front of a burning group of trees, talking in hushed voices. Fyn saw his father amongst them and called out, overjoyed at seeing his father alive and walking around.

"Dad!"

Labon looked up and greeted his son with a wan smile. He looked tired, and Fyn could see he'd been up for a while. Nonetheless, he still looked strong, and was obviously doing his part. Labon strode over to Fyn. For some reason, he seemed to be shielding his left side. Fyn, however, thought nothing else of it.

"Good morning, son." Labon said. The greeting sounded strange and foreign given the current circumstances.

"I wish it was," Fyn said, "what can my friends and I do to help?"

Labon sighed. "There's a lot that needs to be done, in all honesty. I guess the first thing we need to do is separate the strongest of you right now. That means you, Littlefoot, Cera, and Spike. Petrie-" the Flyer looked up at Labon from his perch on Littlefoot's back, "-I need you to fly over the Valley, looking for trapped survivors. If and when you find any, the rest of you-" he gestured to Fyn's remaining friends, "-need to work together to do what you can to free those survivors. Got it?"

Everyone nodded.

"Good, go ahead. Those who I called out for being the strongest, stay with me."

The others promptly left as Petrie took to the air. Labon turned to Fyn.

"I know this isn't the best time, but I want to congratulate you."

"For what?"

"For your completion of Starfall."

Fyn was surprised. "But I didn't complete Starfall. The Flying Rocks came and I ended up passed out until now."

"That may be," Labon said with a genuine smile, "but you acted swiftly in alerting everyone. You did what a leader should have done, and because of that, your Starfall is officially complete." Labon did the customary head dip and Fyn responded in kind before Labon finished. "If it weren't for your actions, many more would have lost their lives."

"I meant to ask about that," Fyn said, hesitantly, "how many-?"

"Too many," Labon said. "We've already lost twenty three, and we expect that number to increase soon.

"Yes, it is," Labon agreed, "but we can't focus on that right now. The hard truth is that the dead are not coming back. We need to focus on helping those who have a chance."

"Then what's the plan?" Littlefoot asked, coming to Fyn's side.

"We don't know yet," Labon answered, now addressing Littlefoot, "but your grandparents are currently making plans. Something will be done soon. Until then," he looked over at the dinosaurs he'd just picked to stay, "I need you to help me."

"Alright," Cera said, and Spike nodded next to her, "just tell us where to go."

"Follow me," Labon said, on the move, "I'll fill you in as we walk."

Fyn noticed as they started that Labon still was avoiding displaying his left side. By now, his curiosity was definitely piqued, but he said nothing, instead listening to his father.

"Several Valley residents tried to take refuge in a cave last night. Unfortunately, a Flying Rock hit nearby, and their cave was sealed off. To the best of our knowledge, all of them are trapped inside. We are going to free them."

"Excellent, just point me in the right direction," Cera exclaimed.

"That's what I like to hear," Labon said, "the cave is over here." Labon walked over to a mound of rocks taller than himself. "They're inside," he said, "Let's get started."

Immediately, the group set to work clearing rocks. Labon had positioned himself at the far left of the group- presumably, Fyn reasoned, to hide his left side. He wondered what Labon was hiding. He hoped whatever it was wasn't serious, and he made a point to find out later. He diverted his attention back to clearing rocks. There were a lot of them, and they were heavy, but slowly, progress was being made. Fyn heard voices in the cave, and the farther they went, the louder they became. Soon, the voices began cheering them on. Now they were down to the last few rocks.

"Stand back," Cera said, loud enough so those inside the cave could hear, too. The Threehorn stepped backwards, pawed the ground, and took off for the rocks at a sprint. Lowering her shielded head, she plowed sideways into the rest of the rocks, clearing them with a tremendous _"crash!" _Rock dust and ash billowed outwards, blinding everyone, and coughing immediately set in. Fyn's eyes stung, but he tried squinting through the pain and haze. Finally, dark silhouettes began to appear amongst the swirling clouds, approaching slowly. The trapped dinosaurs were safe. When the dust and ash settled, Fyn saw them all clearly; they were all scared, shaking, but relieved to be alive. Fyn couldn't have imagined being trapped in such a tight space for so long. His heart went out to them, and their bravery inspired him.

"Alright, let's go find someone else to help," he said.

The next task was easier. The group followed faint cries for help to a Swimmer, trapped under a fallen tree. With their combined strength, the weight was next to nothing, and the tree was quickly removed. The Swimmer's leg was hurt, but she was clearly going to live. Next, the Longnecks in the group used their height to help a few children who had been trapped when the path they'd used to get up onto a ledge collapsed. Again, the children were successfully rescued. Running around the Valley all day was hard work, but it was satisfying, and by the time the Bright Circle was at its highest (or at least what everyone _assumed _was its highest. No one could really tell through the massive clouds of ash that covered the sky) everyone was feeling good knowing they were doing everything they could to help.

Unfortunately, not every rescue attempt was successful. One particular event that haunted Fyn for a long time afterwards involved a mother Spiketail and her two children. There had been another cave collapse, but the mother had kept the rocks from falling completely by holding them up with her body. By the time help arrived, her strength was failing. The rescuers knew they could not pull her out without endangering her children, who were behind her in the cave. Silently, without a moment of hesitation, understanding the situation perfectly, the Spiketail used all of her remaining strength to stand, actually pushing the rocks she was supporting _up. _The children ran out of the cave as quickly as they could. The mother released her push on the rocks as soon as they were clear. Sadly, she was unable to move fast enough. The rocks buried her completely. More actions of selfless sacrifice to save another were witnessed that day. Fyn and the others had no time to mourn, however. There was too much to be done. Those who had given their lives would be remembered later. Fyn simply tried his best to block out the horrors around him and do his best. What would they do now? he wondered. What else, if anything, could still go wrong?

…

Later in the day, Labon finally called a break so he could speak with the other adults. Fyn, Cera, Littlefoot, and Spike sat by the lake, taking in the tragic scenery. Before long, they were joined by Petrie, Ducky, Ruby, and Chomper. They seemed weary, and Littlefoot certainly couldn't blame them, if their day had been anything like his.

When they arrived at the lakeside, no one spoke. Nods were exchanged to acknowledge one another. That was all. For the longest time, all was quiet. Finally, Littlefoot broke the silence, addressing Chomper.

"So, how was your day?" he asked, sounding tired.

Chomper shook his head with downcast eyes. "Bad. I don't know how long it's going to take for the Great Valley to recover from this."

Ruby cleared her throat hesitantly, getting the others' attention.

"I don't know if this is true or not," she said timidly, "but I heard that some of us may have to leave the Great Valley."

At her words, everyone froze. Now she really had their attention.

"What do you mean by _some of us?" _Cera asked warily.

Ruby shrugged. "That's all I heard. I'm sorry."

"It's alright, Ruby," Chomper said. "It's just a rumor, anyway. The grown-ups will figure something out. They always do."

"No they don't," Cera replied, cynically. "They can't agree on _anything, _and all of you know it. Just look at them now! Everyone's confused, and I can't blame them. Everything happened too fast." She sighed, "I just hope they can pull themselves together and come to a conclusion soon."

The others nodded.

"I do not like this," Ducky said quietly, "no, no, no."

"The same goes for the rest of us," Littlefoot said. Fyn, meanwhile, still hadn't spoken a word. The images of the mother Spiketail saving her children were still fresh in his mind. Littlefoot noticed his friend's concerned look.

"Fyn, is something the matter?"

"Just thinking," Fyn replied.

"What about?" Cera asked.

"That mother Spiketail from earlier today..." Fyn's voice trailed off and Cera and Littlefoot nodded in understanding.

"I remember," Cera said, softly.

"Me too," Littlefoot added.

"It's just that... I've been thinking all day: would I have done the same if I were in her position?" Fyn asked.

"I don't think there's any way of truly knowing," said Littlefoot.

"When times like those come, I don't think we ever really think about that," Ruby said, "we just do what we know is right, no matter what."

Fyn nodded. "You know, Ruby? I think you might be right."

Labon approached from where he'd previously been talking to the other adults.

"It sounds like there's a plan in place now. Everyone is to gather by the lake tonight, when the Bright Circle falls. Try not to eat too much. There's not much green food to go around." As he turned away, Labon forgot to hide his left side, and Fyn finally saw why he'd been so secretive about it all day. His side sported a terrible arrangement of small, jagged wounds which, upon closer examination, looked burned as well.

"_Where did he get those?" _Fyn wondered to himself. Then, realization dawned on him. It all made sense now: the Flying Rock that had exploded in front of them, his father shielding him, the gashes, the burns... his father had not escaped the Flying Rock unscathed. What was worse was that it seemed his father's injuries still contained small particles of dirt and debris. Fyn didn't know much about wounds, but he knew that a wound like that, untreated, could be bad.

"Dad?" he asked.

"Yes, Fyn?"

"You need to get your side looked at. It doesn't look good."

Labon looked down at his side, completely exposed, and realized his mistake. His secret was out, now. He looked back to his son, almost pleading.

"Tell no one about this for now. I'll get it looked at when I can, but I need to do all I can to help first."

"Whatever you say," Fyn said, "but please do something about it. Leaving it untreated is dangerous."

Labon smiled. "Don't worry, son. I'll recover."

Suddenly, the great Longneck bent over, coughing hoarsely. His sides heaved with the effort, and Fyn could tell that this hadn't been brought on by the ash alone. There was something much more serious going on here.

"Dad-" he said again.

"I'm alright, Fyn!" Labon snapped, perhaps a little too harshly. He immediately corrected himself.

"I'm sorry," he said, "I just haven't been myself today. Carry on with your break. I just wanted to let you know about the gathering tonight." And with that, Labon slipped away, back to the other adults.

"Did you see his side?" Fyn asked his friends.

Ruby nodded. "It's a bad wound, I'm sorry to say. If someone doesn't clean it out soon, he could get really sick."

"It sounds like he already _is _really sick," Chomper pointed out.

"Yeah, that cough not sound good," said Petrie. "Me once had cough like that, and my mother keep me in nest for days."

"Someone else will notice," Fyn said, trying to reassure himself. "How could they not?"

"I guess you have a point there," said Cera. After her statement, everyone was quiet again. Then Ducky spoke.

"Well, should we see if we can help some more?"

"What else is there to do?" Cera responded, "we've already almost covered the whole Valley."

"Well, maybe we-" Petrie started. He was suddenly cut off by a deep rumbling, which shook the ground.

"Earthshake!" he said.

But Littlefoot wasn't so sure. He looked up at the Smoking Mountain, where it seemed the rumbling had come from. A second wave of shaking hit, and this time, more smoke began to pour out of the Smoking Mountain's peak. The sight seemed to have the attention of everyone else in the Valley, as well. It seemed the Flying Rocks had reawakened the massive, deadly mountain. There was one final, loud rumble, then all was quiet.

"Was that it?" Chomper asked.

"No," Ruby answered, pointing to the top of the mountain. "Look!"

Sure enough, the worst was far from over. Now, Flowing Fire was pouring over the sides of the mountain's top, and it was heading for the Valley. Most of the fires in the Valley were now going out, but if the Flowing Fire touched the trees, they could very easily start again. Now the adults, at least those able to do so, were scrambling to the scene.

"Come on!" Cera said, getting up and rousing the others, "let's see what we can do to help."

Without any disagreement, everyone stood and began to run, following Cera. The adults were gathering around the Smoking Mountain's base, and that was where the gang was headed as well.

As soon as they arrived, they knew there was trouble. All of the adults, panicked, scared, were bickering amongst each other. Even Labon was snapping at others, acting much differently than usual.

"This is ridiculous!" Cera snorted, looking up at the fast-approaching Flowing Fire. "Why can't they just do something?!"

"I don't know," Fyn said, "but if we don't act soon, the Valley's going up in flames."

"Right," Littlefoot said, glancing up the Smoking Mountain at a patch of loose rocks. "I think I might have a plan," he said, after further studying the rocks.

"Well, 'might have a plan' is good enough for me," Cera said, "Let's hear it!"

"Alright," Littlefoot said. If we can knock those rocks down here, I think we can make a kind of wall."

"A wall?" Chomper asked, "but how's that going to help us?"

"Hold on," said Littlefoot, "I'm not finished yet. If the Flowing Fire keeps coming, then it should hit the wall and change directions. The ground slopes down here, away from the trees, so if we can divert that Flowing Fire enough..."

"It goes down and away from the trees!" Ducky chimed in.

"Exactly!"

"Then let's do this!" Cera said, becoming frustrated at the adults' constant arguments.

"Follow me," said Littlefoot, bounding up the Smoking Mountain. He knew common sense generally dictated not to run _towards _flowing fire, but he felt an exception could be made in this case. He stopped at the rocks.

"Petrie," he said to the Flyer who had just perched himself in front of him, "go back down the mountain and tell the grown-ups to get out of the way."

"Me do it!" Petrie said eagerly, then took off and sped away.

"It'll take all of us to get these rocks moving," said Ruby.

"Then let's start now!" Cera said, eyeing the approaching Flowing Fire. "Three, two, one, push!"

The dinosaurs surged forward as one, pushing against the heavy boulders. It was slow going, but they slowly began to move.

"Keep going," Littlefoot said through gritted teeth, "almost there!"

Suddenly, the rocks were away, tumbling down the mountain and crashing against the ground on the bottom. The plan had worked... almost. The rocks had scattered when they hit, so there were plenty of gaps for the Flowing Fire to get through. They did not go unnoticed. The adults, also, looked surprised and a bit relieved. Slowly, they began to move over to the rocks, assisting by pushing them into place. Littlefoot looked back up the mountain. The Flowing Fire had almost reached them, and he could feel its heat licking at the back of his neck. Time to go.

Without a word, the gang scurried down the mountain to help move rocks. At the bottom, they were impressed with what they saw. The adults had stopped their bickering completely, and were working hard to build up the rock wall.

"Come on," Littlefoot said to his friends, "let's help!"

And help they did, pushing rocks into place, and supporting others, all the while racing the Flowing Fire. The wall was almost complete. Littlefoot glanced over it, and was met with a searing blast of heat. The Flowing Fire was practically on top of them! Then the last rock was rolled into place, and the cheering began.

Littlefoot noticed, then, that the cheering wasn't on account of the task that had just been completed. It was directed at _them; _him and his friends. Slowly, a wide smile, a true smile, his first that day, perhaps, broke across his face. The adults encircled them, congratulating them and thanking them. Then Mr. Threehorn came out of the crowd and addressed Littlefoot directly.

"Thank you all for what you did. If you hadn't acted, that Flowing Fire would probably have overtaken us all. It seems like every time we adults think we might know everything, you kids have something more to teach us. I really can't believe I'm saying this, but thank you again."

Littlefoot was understandably shocked. He'd almost never heard Mr. Threehorn talk like this. When he did, he really meant it.

"Um, thanks..." he said.

Mr. Threehorn nodded, smiled, and stepped back into the crowd. Meanwhile, Labon came forward.

"Good job out there," he said, "I always-" suddenly he broke down into another coughing fit, this one much more violent than before. When he was done, he raised his face up again. He looked to be in pain, but he smiled at them anyway. "Sorry about that. I always knew we could count on you to do the right thing. Thanks so much."

He looked up at the sky. The Bright Circle had almost left for the day.

"Night's falling," he said, we should get over to the lake now.

Night was falling already? Littlefoot was amazed. Time, it seemed, really went by when you were helping others.

Labon turned and prepared to start walking. Suddenly, his face contorted in a pain-induced grimace. He let in a sharp intake of breath.

"Argh!" he groaned, falling to his front knees. Fyn rushed to his side, and his friends followed.

"Dad," Fyn said, helping his father back up, "you really need to rest."

"No," his father said, still straining through the pain, "there's still- _ngh!- _more work that needs to be done."

"But you don't have to do it," Littlefoot said, "there are plenty of us to help out. Right now, you just need to help yourself!"

"Does Mom know?" Fyn asked.

"No," Labon responded. "I wouldn't want to worry Keva any more than she already is."

"Dad, she _needs _to know about this."

"And I'll tell her," he said, "after the gathering, I promise."

"Deal," said Fyn.

"Speaking of gathering," said Ruby, "we should probably go now. Everyone's already gathered!"

Labon looked to the lake. Sure enough, it seemed everyone already _had_ gathered.

"Come on," he said to the others, "let's get over there now."

Littlefoot nodded, following Fyn's father. He couldn't help but feel apprehension at what his grandparents were about to say. He felt that no matter what, it couldn't be good.

"_Then again," _he thought, _"it can't be much worse than what we're already going through." _

Littlefoot shook off his thoughts. Whatever was about to happen would happen. There was nothing he could do to change that. He could only hope that his grandparents had made a wise choice, as they always did.

…

Grandpa Longneck waited until everyone was fully assembled before he began. Flanking him on either side were Labon and Mr. Threehorn, urging the crowd to quiet down. When all was silent, Grandpa Longneck spoke.

"Before we begin this meeting, I'd like to recognize and thank two dinosaurs who proved their outstanding courage and devotion to the residents of this Valley last night. Without them, it's likely things would have been much worse than they actually were. Therefore, I call forward Fyn, son of Labon, and Littlefoot, my own grandson."

Fyn and Littlefoot made their way forward, taking their places by Labon's and Mr. Threehorn's sides, respectively. Their friends led the rest of the Great Valley in a ground-shaking cheer. Fyn smiled inwardly, but kept his emotions blank on the outside. Celebration could not hide the fact that a tragedy had occurred, and it was too early for smiles. When the cheering died down, Grandpa Longneck spoke again.

"Now, doubtless all of you are wondering what is going to happen now. Before I say anything, here are the details: due to last night's fires, and destruction caused by the Flying Rocks, there is not enough food or water left for everyone in the Valley. Ordinarily, the easy thing to do would be for everyone to leave the Valley, but this is not possible. Many dinosaurs were hurt during the Flying Rock storm last night, and are unable to travel. On top of all of this, the Cold Time is coming again, and sending a full-sized herd out into the Mysterious Beyond is risky. The Cold Time destroys much of our Green Food, and it's a much bigger problem outside the Great Valley. Considering all of this, we are left with only one option: to send a smaller herd, made up of able-bodied and healthy dinosaurs to scout out a new home for us. A smaller herd requires less to eat, and if the Cold Time destroys some of the green food, there should still be enough to sustain said herd. Also, those who need to recover have the chance to stay behind, and the Great Valley should be able to sustain them. Mama Flyer will act as liaison between the scouting herd and the Valley."

Petrie's mother stood up and raised a wing. Grandpa Longneck nodded, acknowledging her.

"One has already volunteered his leadership for this herd," he continued. "Labon, leader of the Fin-Necks here, has spoken with his herd. Those in it who are able and strong enough have volunteered to join this herd, and a few others from the Great Valley will accompany them. This is primarily because the Fin-Neck herd has the most experience traveling the Mysterious Beyond, and has done so more recently than any of us. Labon," he said, turning to the Fin-Neck by his side, "I believe you have an announcement to make."

"I do, sir," he said, nodding. "At this time, I'd like to announce my deputy for this journey: my son, Fyn."

At Labon's words, Fyn's friends were shocked. If Fyn was the deputy, then he'd be leaving soon, probably without them. Standing next to his father, Fyn, too, was somewhat shocked. He wasn't sure he was ready to take on the role of deputy.

"My son," Labon said, turning to Fyn, "are you willing to accept this role?'

Fyn looked at his father, then at his friends, then back to his father. Finally, he took a long, hard look at the devastation around him, at the place he called home, at the many dinosaurs who would be relying on him and his father. He had to do this.

"I accept."

"Then I declare this meeting adjourned," said Grandpa Longneck. "I will stay behind with the herd leadership to discuss their plans. I bid a good night to all of you."

As the crowds began to disperse, Grandpa Longneck turned to Fyn and Labon.

"We don't have much time. The longer the scouting herd stays in the Valley, the more of the remaining food will be consumed. How soon can you leave?"

"Tomorrow," Labon said, "and we can be gone before the Bright Circle's completely in the sky."

Grandpa Longneck nodded. "Good. I want to wish you all the best of luck. The Great Valley will be counting on you. I know you can bring us to a better, temporary place."

Labon nodded, and smiled slightly. "Thank you for your kind words. I need to gather the herd together tonight. Will you and a few others be able to help me get everyone together?"

"Of course," Grandpa Longneck said.

"Thanks again." Labon addressed Fyn next. "You're welcome to stay with your friends for now. I'll need you back later, though- _argh!" _Labon doubled over again, coughing hard. This time, however, his fit went on for longer, and when he finally recovered, Fyn thought he could see a trace of blood on his mouth.

"Dad?"

"Don't worry about me," said Labon, suddenly seeming to rock from side to side, "I'll be- I'll be fine."

Suddenly, he lurched forward, barely catching his balance. His face suddenly looked very tired, and his eyes rolled upwards.

"Fyn," he said faintly, "tell Keva not to-"

Labon dropped like a stone, unconscious. Fyn barely had time to react, slowing his father's fall with his tail. He looked on in utter horror at his father lying still on the ground. The only movement Fyn saw was the rise and fall of his chest. Good, he was still breathing. In moments, Littlefoot and the gang were at his side, too.

"What happened?" Littlefoot asked.

"It's his wound," Ruby answered quickly. "He's sick. Someone needs to see him now!"

Fyn looked up with a look of pure determination, "then I need you guys to find a healer. I'll stay with my dad. Please hurry!"

Without any delay, the gang took off in separate directions, each looking for someone who knew how to treat wounds. When they were gone, Fyn turned back to his helpless, unconscious father.

"Please, Dad," he whispered, tears already forming in his eyes and falling onto his father's skin, "please hold out for me. Stay strong. Fight through this."

That night, the Night Circle rose on a very different Great Valley, one that was much more hostile and strange. Labon had fallen victim to this new Valley, leaving Fyn to work things out.

And for once in his life, Fyn had no idea what to do.

…


	6. Chapter 5: From out of the Ashes

_Chapter 5: From out of the Ashes_

The healer, an old Swimmer, hadn't been there for long, but to Fyn, his visit seemed to have taken seasons. When he finally returned from Fyn's father's side, Fyn looked at him with pleading eyes. The old Swimmer hung his head, tired.

"How is he?" Keva asked him. She and Fyn's sisters, Salde and Rya, had arrived as soon as they'd heard the news.

The Swimmer sighed deeply. "I've seen this happen before. The wounds he received during the Flying Rock storm last night were deep, but not severe. Unfortunately, he didn't treat them, and left them exposed all day."

The Swimmer looked over at Fyn with an expression of sorrow across his old, wrinkled face.

"Sickness often sets in when wounds like that are exposed, and sometimes it can become serious."

"Is he going to be alright?" Salde suddenly piped up.

The Swimmer spoke slowly, choosing his next words carefully. Too often he'd made this statement, only to have it turn out wrong. Now, he was going to do it again.

"I don't know. There's only so much I can do for him. I can wash the wounds out and I can give him whatever healing plants are left in the Valley, but he's going to have to help me. He needs to fight, to preserve his will to live, otherwise..." he looked back at Labon, and the silence as the Fin-Neck family awaited his answer was absolute. One could have heard a pebble fall upon the grass on the other side of the Valley.

"Otherwise, we might lose him."

"No," Keva whispered, her voice choked with tears, "not my mate. Labon," she said, running to her mate's side, and speaking to his emotionless, unseeing face, "please, you're strong, the strongest there is. Fight through this sickness for me, for your family, your children. Please-" she said, breaking down next to the motionless dinosaur and sobbing, "please come back to us."

The Swimmer watched with seasoned eyes. He had seen this same scene many times over the course of his life. Sometimes it ended well, other times, it didn't.

"Will he wake soon?" Fyn asked the Swimmer.

"Yes, I believe he will. Do you have something you wish to tell him?"

Fyn thought about everything that had happened that day and his last conversation with his father before... _this_ happened.

"I don't think so," he said, turning to walk away. He needed time to think about tomorrow, time to... _tomorrow! _Suddenly, Fyn realized he _did _need to address his father after all.

"Actually," he said hurriedly to the healer, "I do have something I need to tell him. Will you let me know when he wakes?"

"Of course," the healer replied.

"Thank you. I'll be talking to Grandpa Longneck. That's where you should be able to find me."

The healer nodded. "Good luck."

"Thanks."

Fyn ran back to his family, still by Labon's side, waiting for something, anything. Fyn's heart felt a pang of grief at the expression on his mother's face. She'd already lost a family member in her life. Would nature be cruel enough to take her mate, too?

"Mother," he said softly, and Keva looked up, eyes swimming in tears.

"Yes, my son?"

"I need to speak to Grandpa Longneck urgently. I have to go now."

Keva nodded slowly, "I understand. Is it about the journey tomorrow?"

"It is," Fyn said, and Keva looked back at her still mate, then back to Fyn.

"Labon's in no condition to lead the herd. He has to stay here."

"I know," said Fyn, "that's what I need to speak to Littlefoot's grandfather about. He needs to find a new leader."

"Just make sure that Labon stays here," she said, bending back down to her mate.

"I will," Fyn whispered, getting choked up again, "I promise." He turned silently, with barely a rustle of grass- it seemed the respectful thing to do- and slowly began his walk away. Things still had to be done, and if his father had been in his position, he would have agreed. Without Labon around to lead, things could plunge into chaos quickly if the issue of leadership wasn't resolved soon.

It wasn't long before Fyn spotted Grandpa Longneck, standing with most of the scouting herd for the next day. As Fyn approached, the old Longneck greeted him with a warm smile.

"I'm glad you could come, Fyn," he said, "but where is your father?"

At his words, Fyn almost lost his composure right then and there, in front of the herd he had been assigned to help lead.

"_Just like a little kid," _he thought to himself, _"I can't show weakness in front of any of these dinosaurs. They're probably having a hard time believing in me as it is."_

"My father," he said, pausing to draw in a long, shaky breath, "is sick. He might even be dying. At this point we can't tell, but I know for certain that there is absolutely no way he's going to be able to lead the herd tomorrow."

Throughout Fyn's statement, it seemed the creases and wrinkles on the old Longnecks face grew deeper. His mouth opened farther in shock and surprise, and finally, an expression of grief registered in his eyes.

"You know this to be true?"

"I do," Fyn said, eyes downcast, "I was there when it happened."

"Then a new leadership must be decided. Of course, the leader is an obvious choice."

"Really?" said Fyn, "that's excellent! Who do you have in-?"

"Because you completed the rite of Starfall recently, you are technically Labon's deputy, and bound to take his place should he become unable to lead."

The words hit Fyn like a thundering, crushing Rockslide. He'd lead before, of course, but during that particular instance, he'd already known where he was going: the Great Valley, and most of that journey had already been completed when he took charge. This was something completely different. If he lead these dinosaurs, he would be walking with them to lands completely unknown, in the hopes of possibly finding somewhere hospitable during the Cold Time. Things were not looking good. Yet, under all of the apprehension and ill-feeling, there was another, underlying emotion. Fyn couldn't entirely decide what it was, only that it didn't feel like fear. Excitement, perhaps? Somewhere inside, was this what he truly wanted?

Once again, Fyn considered his priorities. If he refused leadership, then he wouldn't have to worry about failure. On the other hand, it would delay finding another leader, and time was of the essence now. Resources in the Great Valley were scarce, and the longer they stayed, the more would be used, and taken away from those who needed them most. Dinosaurs like his dad, for example. Fyn gritted his teeth as he prepared himself for his answer- the only answer he could give in good conscience.

"I understand, and I will lead this herd."

"Good," said Grandpa Longneck. "Now, however, comes the difficult part: deciding who is to be _your _deputy."

Fyn mentally kicked himself. He'd forgotten about that. He'd never considered Labon becoming incapacitated and his having to lead, much less choosing a deputy. Now, his poor planning was catching up with him. He'd have to start thinking ahead more.

"I need to think about this for a little while," Fyn said finally, and Grandpa Longneck nodded.

"I'll have an answer for you soon," Fyn added, "the herd will still leave on time."

"Good, but don't rush your decision. This is very important."

"Don't worry," Fyn said, heading for the one place he knew he could think in peace, "I won't."

"I know," said Grandpa Longneck to Fyn as he left, "and I wish your father the best of luck in recovering."

"Thank you," Fyn said, and he was gone, off into the night again, preparing to make the biggest decision he'd ever made.

…

From afar, Littlefoot watched his friend go. He and the rest of the gang had just been discussing the recent events, including Labon's condition. So far, things were not looking good according to Ruby, the only source they had on the mysterious sickness. Apparently, dinosaurs who advanced into the sickness as far as Labon had could only be treated so much. They had to fight to stay alive, too, or treatment would fail. All of the gang felt something had to be said to Fyn, but this was one of those moments where it seemed anything could be taken the wrong way, and no one wanted to lose Fyn's friendship, even if it was only temporary.

Now, they were all watching Fyn leave, headed for the other side of the Great Valley. If they didn't act soon, they might never get the chance to speak to him in time to make him feel better.

"I just wish I knew what to say," said Chomper.

"So do I," said Cera. "I'll be the first to admit that I'm no good at stuff like this."

"You admit you not good at something?" Petrie asked, stunned.

"Ye- yes, I guess I did," Cera stammered. Petrie went slack-jawed.

"But I'm good at plenty of other things, Beakface!" she covered quickly.

"I want to go talk to him," said Littlefoot, staring out over the Valley floor with new eyes; eyes that had seen horrors only an adult should have to see. Eyes that, in such a short time, had seen acts of selfless heroism, and sacrifice. Eyes that, until recently, had been those of a child.

"Littlefoot," said Ducky, "if anyone talks to him, you should. You two both just went through Starfall together."

"That's true," Littlefoot agreed, hesitantly. Then he made up his mind. This _was_ his task. Fyn needed his help right now, and at this point, he was probably the closest thing to a brother the Fin-Neck had.

"Alright," he agreed, "I'll talk to him."

"Let him know we all care for him and his family," Ruby said.

"And that we wish him the best of luck tomorrow," Chomper added.

Littlefoot looked back at his friends, the dinosaurs he'd known almost all of his life, and smiled slightly.

"I will."

And he was gone, following Fyn's trail, still unsure of what to say, but convinced he was making the right move.

Fyn wasn't hard to track. His orange skin stood out at night, and it wasn't as if he was making any attempts to evade Littlefoot. In fact, Littlefoot doubted if Fyn even knew he was being followed. he seemed deep in thought, talking to himself and occasionally glancing up at the stars. He carried on through the night, walking towards the Great Wall, and entering a forest. Most of the trees had been destroyed, and were standing naked in the pale light of the Night Circle. It was a decidedly creepy setting, Littlefoot thought, and the scenery was so different that it took him a while to realize where Fyn was headed: the Tree Sweet pond.

The path, once known for being treacherously thin and slippery, had been completely leveled by a Flying Rock. The massive crater in the ground was still there, as evidence. Small fires burned all around, reminders of the devastation caused by the larger ones so recently. Littlefoot was heartbroken by everything he saw. Would his beloved Valley ever be the same again?

Suddenly, he remembered his purpose. He was supposed to be following Fyn, not sightseeing. He had inadvertently slowed down, and now Fyn was gone from sight.

"_Your mistake," _he told himself, _"but luckily, this one will be easy to fix."_

Littlefoot continued on into the trees, after Fyn, wondering exactly what would be in store when he found the Tree Sweet pond. Part of him didn't want to see how badly it had been damaged, but somewhere inside, he had to know. He pressed on, prepared for the worst.

…

When Fyn entered the Tree Sweet pond, he knew exactly what to expect: ruination, sadness, and memories, all combined into one terrible experience. He didn't mind. That was simply the way his whole day had gone. What could one more scene of devastation do to him? This was simply, as his father had once said, "another drop of water in the pond."

And that was where Fyn was wrong.

Upon entering the Tree Sweet pond, he was greeted by a sight that could only be described as a miracle. Everything was untouched. The water was clean, the leaves were green, and everything was as it had been when he and his friends had celebrated his Star Day here. He blinked once, convinced he was seeing things, but the pond was still the same. The sight brought tears to his eyes again, but this time he didn't try to stop them. He just let them flow. He was alone, now, and he could finally release all of his pent-up emotions in peace.

As he'd done on his Star Day, Fyn climbed onto the flat rock where he'd sunned himself and lay down. Everything that had happened within the last day was so unfair, it seemed, yet this place stood as a living reminder that, despite terrible adversity, hope could survive. Fyn sniffed. It seemed he'd just cried out every tear in his body. That was fine with him. It was time for work. It was time for a decision to be made.

The problem that he saw immediately was that he didn't know everyone in the Valley. He didn't even know _most _of the dinosaurs living here. Picking a deputy from their midst was next to impossible. He groaned to himself. This was going to be impossible. Suddenly, Fyn was alerted by the sharp crackling of breaking sticks and crunching leaves. Someone else was here. He peered into the trees ahead, trying to find out who his visitor was.

…

Like Fyn, the sight that greeted Littlefoot was spectacular. Never had he expected to see life still thriving in this part of the Valley. He was so taken in by the wonders around him that he almost didn't notice Fyn laying on his rock.

"Evening," Fyn said, cooly.

Littlefoot turned around to see his friend.

"Fyn, hi! I was- I was just..."

"What's the matter, Littlefoot? Something wrong?"

Littlefoot looked his friend evenly in the eyes. "No, I just thought you wouldn't want any company right now."

"Well," said Fyn, standing up, stretching, and walking over to his friend, "that makes absolutely no sense for two reasons: first, you came here, didn't you?"

"Well, yes," Littlefoot stammered. He'd expected Fyn to be more hostile. He'd been caught off by his friend's current attitude. "But you see, I thought-"

"And second," Fyn said, interrupting, "what you said about me not wanting any company right now is _definitely _not true. Actually, I really wanted some company."

"Oh, good," Littlefoot said, relieved that Fyn had been so agreeable. Fyn went back to his rock and lay down again.

"So what brings you here?" he asked.

"Well, I wanted to know if things were going alright," Littlefoot answered.

Fyn didn't say anything for a moment, just took in his surroundings and breathed deeply. Finally, he spoke to his friend.

"I'm fine," he said, adjusting himself to a more comfortable position, "it's just that there's so much I have to do right now. I don't know what to think." He kicked a pebble into the nearby water. "I don't even have time to be sad about what just happened to my dad!"

"What's going on, Fyn?" Littlefoot asked, concerned. His friend had never spoken like this before.

"It's my duties," Fyn said. "I'm the new herd leader."

Littlefoot thought about congratulating his friend, but decided these particular circumstances didn't call for such comments. Instead, he leaned up against a tree near his friend.

"The problem is," Fyn continued, "that I have to have a deputy. I promised your grandfather that I'd choose someone by tomorrow, so we could still leave on time, but I don't know how I'm going to do it. There are just too many choices, too many dinosaurs I don't know."

Littlefoot nodded silently. Things did sound stressful for Fyn. Then he remembered something.

"You know, my mother once gave me some advice that might help you."

Fyn turned his head towards his friend, desperately wanting to believe him. "Oh? What was it?"

Littlefoot looked up at the sky, recalling the fateful night when he and his mother had parted ways for the last time, she to whatever mysterious lands dinosaurs went to when they passed away, and himself to the Great Valley, to finish the journey they'd both started. He had never forgotten her last words to him, and until now, had never revealed them to anyone else.

"Let your heart guide you," he said softly, almost trancelike, "it whispers, so listen closely."

Fyn looked at his friend, mesmerized by the sheer beauty of the short statement he'd uttered.

"That's all," Littlefoot said.

"It's beautiful," Fyn responded, "truly beautiful, but I don't see how it can help me."

Littlefoot struggled for his answer. He'd just had it a moment ago, but saying his mother's words after so long had forced him to forget. He racked his brain, trying to remember the mental connection he'd drawn between her words and Fyn's problem . Suddenly, he remembered.

"Well, I think that if this decision's so hard for you, maybe it's because you're using your head, instead of your heart."

"Go on," said Fyn, intrigued now.

Littlefoot cleared his throat and stood up, next to Fyn. "I think sometimes we try to solve things using our heads when the problem isn't a 'head problem,' if you see what I mean. I think maybe you've known all along who to pick for your deputy. It would be someone who's distinguished him or herself in your eyes, someone you trust completely, and who has always done good. That someone, I think, is in your heart right now, and that someone is more than likely your deputy."

Fyn was astounded. Littlefoot's words made sense. He probably _did _already know his deputy.

"Well, that's all I have to say," said Littlefoot, "I'll leave you to your decision. Good night, Fyn."

"Good night," Fyn said, watching his friend go.

And at that point it occurred to him. He knew exactly who he had to pick as his deputy. The choice had been blatantly obvious all along. Why hadn't he seen it all along? He couldn't believe he'd been so shortsighted. Yes, his choice was the only one that actually made sense, and right now, that choice was walking away.

…

Littlefoot was almost clear of the few green trees that bordered the Tree Sweet pond, when Fyn's voice rang out from behind, calling his name.

"Littlefoot, wait!"

Littlefoot stopped and turned around. What could Fyn possibly want with him now? Perhaps he wanted to discuss things further. If that was the case, Littlefoot thought, he didn't mind. After all, he really had nothing but time tonight.

Fyn burst through the trees, panting, stopping right in front of Littlefoot.

"What's the rush?" Littlefoot asked.

Fyn's eyes were wide, and he was practically shaking with excitement.

"I just thought about what you told me back there," Fyn answered, "and I know who I'd like to be my deputy."

"Well that's great!" Littlefoot said, "who is it?"

"I'll give you a hint," Fyn said, "you already know him. In fact, you've known him for a while. A _long _while."

Littlefoot racked his brain, trying to figure out who Fyn was describing. So far, it could be anyone.

"He's a Longneck," Fyn pushed.

That narrowed the list a bit, but Littlefoot still wasn't sure.

"I give up," he said.

"It's none other than the brave, kindhearted, smart, and loyal Longneck known as Littlefoot!"

"Perfect! I knew you could- wait, _what?" _Littlefoot had been caught off guard.

"I said if it's alright with you, I'd like you to be my deputy."

"That's what I thought you said," Littlefoot said slowly. "Fyn, are you feeling alright? Do you need to lie down?"

"I feel fine!" Fyn said, "the best I've felt all day, in fact. Why?"

"Well, you can't be serious! Out of all of the much more qualified dinosaurs in the Valley than me, _I'm _the one you pick as deputy."

"Right," Fyn said, shifting awkwardly. This was not the reaction he'd expected, "only I don't think there _are _any dinosaurs more qualified than you."

"Well, I'd like to know why you think that way."

Fyn looked his friend straight in the eyes, now serious. "Littlefoot, you and I went through Starfall together, both the tradition and the real thing, if you see my point."

Littlefoot saw it. The horrors of the previous night were still vivid as ever in his mind.

"So?"

"So, Starfall proves that you can be a leader. You wouldn't have passed it if that wasn't the case. Also, I still remember you leaving the comforts of your nest to sit vigil with me. It took selflessness to do that."

"Maybe," Littlefoot said, "but-"

"But nothing! I know you're trying to be humble, and that's another sign of a good leader, but just hear me out. I have not met another dinosaur who's even _close _to being as qualified as you are for this duty."

There was only silence, then, occasionally broken by the chirp of some small animal, or a Longneck's mournful call. Littlefoot stared at the ground, unsure of what to do. He certainly wasn't afraid of going out into the Mysterious Beyond; he'd done it numerous times before. What really worried him was how much everyone would be relying on him. The potential survival of the Valley would rest on his and Fyn's shoulders. That was a pretty big responsibility. Then Littlefoot recalled what he'd told Fyn- his mother's words.

"_Let your heart guide you."_

Littlefoot couldn't just abandon his Valley, his home. Everyone here depended on him, and it was his responsibility to do everything in his power to help the Valley survive.

"Alright, Fyn," Littlefoot said, finally, "I'll do it."

A huge grin broke out across Fyn's face. "I knew you would, Littlefoot. Let's go clear the decision with your grandpa."

Littlefoot nodded in agreement, and the two set off, back through the skeletal woods and over the cratered earth, reminders of what was at stake if they didn't perform their duties. Now, Littlefoot was actually getting excited. He and one of his best friends would be journeying out to lands unknown, leading others. The responsibility was huge, and still left him apprehensive, but the spirit of the journey had taken him. It was the same spirit that often called when he was a small child, and caused him to venture out into the Mysterious Beyond with his friends. There was now a certain degree of adventure in Littlefoot's mind, and he was prepared to see it through, come what may. Of course, there was still one hurdle left: clearing Fyn's decision with his grandfather. Littlefoot winced thinking about it. This was not going to be easy.

…

It wasn't hard to find Grandpa Longneck. As soon as he'd heard about Labon's condition, he and his mate had moved quickly to provide comfort for Fyn's family. Right now, they were near Labon, talking quietly. Fyn and Littlefoot approached warily from behind, as one might approach a slumbering Sharptooth. When they were close enough to be heard, Fyn nodded to Littlefoot.

"G- Grandpa?" Littlefoot said hesitantly. The old Longneck paid no attention; Littlefoot hadn't spoken loudly enough.

"Let me try," Fyn whispered. He stood up and cleared his throat.

"Mr. Longneck?"

Littlefoot's grandfather turned around to face the dinosaur who had addressed him. He was pleasantly surprised to see that it had been Fyn.

"Fyn, Littlefoot, it's good to see you two. What are you up to?"

"I've made my decision," Fyn answered, then clarified, "about my deputy."

"Ah yes," Grandpa Longneck said, "and who did you decide on?"

Fyn drew in a deep breath. It was all he could do to keep from collapsing in a nervous wreck. This was going to be very difficult.

"With your permission," he said cautiously, "I'd like to appoint... Littlefoot as my deputy."

"Littlefoot?" Grandpa Longneck asked, obviously surprised. Fyn cringed, awaiting a verbal attack. None came. Instead, the Longneck calmly asked, "did he agree to this?"

"Yes, Grandpa, I did," said Littlefoot, stepping up to Fyn's side. Now the old Longneck addressed his grandson.

"And you realize how much responsibility will be placed on you if I agree to let you go?"

"Yes I do," Littlefoot said, solemnly, "trust me on that one, it's all I've been thinking about."

Grandpa Longneck narrowed his eyebrows, deep in thought. He stayed that way for a while, and Littlefoot actually began to wonder if he'd forgotten he was there. Then he spoke.

"As you have successfully completed the rite of Starfall, I, with the authority granted to me as your temporary leader, agree to this decision."

"Great!" Littlefoot said.

"But now," Grandpa Longneck said before Littlefoot had the chance to say anything else, "I would like to speak to you as a grandparent. Littlefoot, I've told you time and again how much you mean to your grandmother and I. You're older now, and capable, I feel, of taking on more responsibilities, but remember that you aren't completely grown-up yet. You should still remember the things we've taught you, and strive to keep yourself safe. Not seeing you alive at the end of this, no matter what happens, will still be a failure for me."

"Don't worry, Grandpa," Littlefoot said, "Fyn and I can watch out for ourselves."

"I know you can, but also remember you're watching out for others, now. Pay attention to your safety, but also make sure others stay safe as well. Finally, remember this: this journey is probably the most important thing either of you two have done since your migrations here. Not only is it important to you that you succeed, it is important to everyone here. If you are successful, our way of life can carry on. If not, we and everything we stand for, may simply fade away into the past. Make us proud, and carry us through these difficult times."

"We will," Fyn said, positively swelling with pride.

"We will, Grandpa," Littlefoot said as well, displaying a genuine smile for the first time that day.

"Then you two are dismissed. Tomorrow, the herd will gather by the lakeside, and you will be there to meet them. I wish you the best of luck, and a good night to both of you."

Fyn nodded in thanks, and walked over to his mother and sisters. They were deathly quiet, and Fyn couldn't blame them. Labon was fighting death even now, and now he, Fyn, was about to venture out on an extremely risky journey. He wanted to say something comforting, but comfort could wait for now. There were more important things at hand. Fyn took his place by his still father's side and briefly met his mother's gaze. In that moment, true understanding was established. Fyn's face seemed to say _"you know what I have to do."_

"_I do, and I'm prepared for it," _his mother's clear blue eyes seemed to say back.

Fyn lay down on the ground and switched his gaze to his father. Slowly, he arched his neck, until his head was facing down, and continued to stare at him. Once again, he found himself sitting vigil, but this time, it was voluntary. Fyn vowed to remain awake, and stood guard by his father all of the night. When morning came, and the Bright Circle began to rise, he was still faithfully awake, ready to face the next important chapter of his life. A new opportunity was presenting itself, with new and harder challenges, as well. Fyn knew this, but he only had to take one glance at his father, the symbol of the struggling Great Valley, to know exactly what he was taking on this role as leader for. He would do it for him, and for everyone.

And so, what was perhaps the most important migration in the history of the Great Valley began on that day...

...


	7. Chapter 6: Departure

_Part II: Into the Unknown_

_Chapter 6: Departure_

The shrill cry of a Flyer, mournful and alone, echoed across the Great Valley as the Bright Circle rose once again over a scene of devastation. Only two nights ago, the paradise so many had called home was at peace, as it always had been. Then, Flying Rocks came, destroying nearly everything, and leaving the peaceful Valley scarred, stripping it of its innocence, and robbing it of its beauty. Now the sad, charred Valley and its residents were clutching on to one chance- one hope that could preserve their way of life.

Hearing the Flyer's call, Littlefoot shifted slightly and woke up. He and his friend, Fyn, represented the hope that Great Valley's residents were holding on to. Today, they were about to embark on a journey to find a place suitable for the Valley's residents to survive until the land returned to normal, leading a small herd all the way. This was no small task. The previous night, Littlefoot had asked his grandfather how long it would take for the Valley to restore itself. His grandfather had answered that sometimes it could take a full season for such things to be realized. Finding somewhere to keep every dinosaur in the Great Valley satisfied would not be easy, but he had a few ideas.

As he stood up, he stretched, waking up fully. At Fyn's urging, he'd gone to sleep the previous night, even though he'd wanted to stay up with his friend. Fyn was still sitting vigil with his family over his father, who had fallen ill only yesterday. Littlefoot understood that his friend wanted to be alone for the night, and reasoned that if at least one of the two dinosaurs making up the herd leadership had some sleep, the potential for disaster could be lessened. Considering these facts, he'd had no qualms about getting sleep the previous night. If Fyn wanted him to do it, then Littlefoot was obliged to do so. Technically speaking, he had to answer to Fyn now, anyway.

He wondered what taking orders from his friend would be like, as he walked over to a Treestar tree, one of the only surviving ones left in the Valley, ready for breakfast. He was about to take a bite, then thought better of it. Food was scarce, and he had to save it for those who needed it most.

He certainly hoped leading wouldn't change Fyn at all. He liked him the way he was, as a good friend. He thought about this as he walked down towards the lake, where he knew Fyn would be waiting to introduce him to the herd. Introductions would be made, plans would be stated, and when the Bright Circle showed itself, they would be gone. The plan was the very essence of efficiency. He kept moving, looking around him. Hopefully, the next time he'd see this Valley, it would be healthy and green again, as it should be.

"Hey, Littlefoot!" he heard a voice call. It was Fyn, standing at the lake's edge. Behind him was the herd, and it looked much bigger than Littlefoot had anticipated. This was starting to get a bit scary.

"_Can't back down now," _he said to himself. Slowly, he swallowed and called back.

"Good morning, Fyn! Ready for today?"

Fyn approached, nodding. "Yes, I am. Today we do it."

"How's your dad?" Littlefoot asked.

Fyn sighed. "Not much better. He still hasn't woken up, yet. I don't know if he will before we leave."

"Keep your hopes up," Littlefoot said to his friend, "if anyone can get through this, your dad can. He's tough."

"Yeah," Fyn said softly, not meeting his friend's eyes. Then his eyes narrowed with a new look of purpose about them.

"Yeah," he said, his voice stronger now, "you're right!" He turned to his friend.

"Come on, Littlefoot. Let me introduce you to the herd."

Fyn led his friend right up to the first few dinosaurs. One of them seemed to instantly recognize the young Fin-Neck. He was about Labon's age, and like him, a Fin-Neck. Without any reservations, he walked right up to Fyn and greeted him.

"Good morning, Fyn! Remember me?"

Fyn tried to determine where he'd seen this dinosaur before. He _did _seem very familiar. A face from seasons ago surfaced in his mind, and a name, but he couldn't quite recall it. Slowly, the mental picture came into focus...

"I _do _remember you," Fyn said slowly, amazed. Then his amazement turned to happiness. "Alten, I haven't seen you in a while!"

"The same to you, kid. How's everything going?" He took a quick look around, suddenly realizing how obvious Fyn's answer would be. "Aside from the Great Valley being in a shambles, I mean."

"Things could be better," Fyn agreed. "My dad's still trying to fight his sickness. He hasn't woken up yet."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Alten said, his normally cheery mood slipping just a little. "He has my best wishes."

"Thanks," Fyn said, then realized that Littlefoot was still standing behind him, completely clueless. He turned to his friend, and the complete expression of confusion on his face was almost enough to get Fyn to laugh. Almost. Instead, he controlled himself, and addressed Littlefoot.

"This is Alten," he said to Littlefoot, then turned to Alten.

"Alten, Littlefoot."

"How do you do?" Alten asked, dipping his head in a brief nod.

"I'm fine, thanks," Littlefoot said, immediately liking this Longneck. He seemed to have an unconquerable sense of optimism. Someone like him had the potential to be very important on this journey.

"I knew Alten from my old home," Fyn said, "he made the migration to the Great Valley with my herd."

"That's right," Alten confirmed, "and I wouldn't have made it here if it hadn't been for Fyn and his mother. They saved my life! And by the way, I was there to watch Fyn lead the way to the end, so if he's telling you anything completely outlandish, like, say, the time he fought off three fully-grown Sharpteeth as a kid, just let me know. I'll set him straight."

"Will do," Littlefoot said, barely suppressing a grin. Alten nodded again, and turned to walk back into the herd.

"Incidentally," he said, turning around, "he actually fought off _four."_

"Oh, please!" Fyn said, groaning and rolling his eyes in mock exasperation. "Don't believe a word he says!" he said to Littlefoot, laughing.

"He seems like a great Longneck," Littlefoot said.

"The best," Fyn agreed, "now let's go meet everyone else. There are plenty more travelers to speak with before we go."

…

By the time Fyn had shown him around the herd, Littlefoot was in a complete daze. There were just so many faces, so many names to remember, and they were all counting on him. He didn't know if he'd ever manage to learn everyone's names, but he swore he'd try his best. When they finally finished their rounds, they sat by the lake, watching the sky above the Great Wall start to turn blue, then orange, as the Bright Circle began to rise. These were to be their last moments in the Great Valley for a long time, Littlefoot realized, and though he dared not admit it, perhaps forever. It was a humbling thought, knowing that soon, he would be out in the Mysterious Beyond once again. He thought about what he was about to do in silence, and Fyn didn't seem to mind. He appeared to be immersed in his own thoughts right now.

The primary issue Littlefoot was dealing with was the question of why the Mysterious Beyond seemed so foreboding now. He'd been there before, and though there had been exceptions, the place had never really scared him. Perhaps it was the responsibility, or the fact that now he knew exactly what he was getting into. Perhaps it was that so much was at stake, or perhaps it was because his grandparents _knew _he was going that made this experience so different. He wanted to put these thoughts out of his mind, but it was becoming difficult to do so. His thoughts, his worries _hurt, _and he needed to forget them, but still, he couldn't. Fortunately, fate intervened in the form of Mama Flyer, who swooped down silently from above on her soft wings and landed in front of the two.

"Good morning, kids," she said to Littlefoot and Fyn in her usual, cheery tone.

"Good morning," they responded, surprised at her visit. They had almost forgotten that she was to be their connection to the Great Valley during this journey.

"I just wanted to check up on you two," Mama Flyer said, "are you feeling alright?"

"Fine, I guess," Littlefoot responded.

"I'm okay," Fyn said, though his voice didn't seem to agree. Mama Flyer picked up on his tone immediately.

"Fyn? Is something troubling you?"

Fyn nodded. "Yeah, but it's nothing. You don't have to worry about it."

"Oh, but that's my job. I'm supposed to watch over you two in addition to sending messages between you and the Great Valley. Didn't you know that?"

"I didn't," Fyn said, surprised, "but I do now."

"Yes you do," Mama Flyer said, wing claws on her hips, the very picture of motherly authority, "now tell me- what's bothering you? I have sons too, you know, so don't think you can hide from me."

"Alright then," Fyn said, turning to face her directly. "It's my dad," he explained, trying not to show emotion, but wavering, "he hasn't woken up yet, and I'm worried. Even if he's alright, I may not get the chance to say goodbye."

Mama Flyer's gaze softened considerably. "I see," she said comfortingly, " that is very upsetting. You know what, though?"

"What?" Fyn asked, not expecting a question.

"I think if your father _was _here to say goodbye, you can rest assured he would be proud of you," then she remembered Littlefoot, "of _both _of you. He would have wanted this. Both of you are doing exactly what he would have done, so even if he's not here beside you right now, Fyn, he's with you in your heart. Does that make you feel any better?"

"Yes," Fyn said, regaining his composure, "it does." He looked to the sky over the Great Wall. A faint orange tint was showing. It was time to go. Fyn looked at Littlefoot, and the Longneck met his gaze. He understood perfectly, even though no words were uttered.

"Let's get the herd together," Littlefoot said.

"Alright," Fyn agreed, and let out a tremendous call. To the herd, it was the call they had been waiting for: the call to assemble, but for the rest of the Great Valley who heard Fyn, that call, uttered on the dawning of a new day, represented something else entirely. That call was one light, struggling to shine amongst darkness, growing ever brighter. It was the light of hope that stood despite everything that had happened. It was their chance of survival, and the residents of the Great Valley rallied around it. There wasn't a single dinosaur who heard the call to assemble and didn't feel moved that day.

Fyn and Littlefoot formed up in front of the herd, readying themselves to move. The adventure was about to begin. As the herd assembled, it seemed everyone was coming to watch. Even those who were sick or injured had turned out to see the herd leave and give them their best wishes. The sight was truly awe-inspiring, and Fyn felt his soul leap for joy when he saw the rest of the gang come sprinting out of the crowd towards himself and Littlefoot.

"Come on, guys!" Chomper exclaimed, "you can't leave without saying goodbye to us first!"

"Yep, yep yep," Ducky agreed, "it wouldn't be a goodbye without us!"

"We're really going to miss you both," said Ruby, "I'm going to miss you."

Littlefoot smiled. he hadn't heard Ruby talk like that for a while, now.

"We'll miss you, too," he said, feeling his eyes start to water. Spike licked him, and Littlefoot laughed. Petrie flew above, circling them both.

"Maybe I get to fly out with my mama and see you both!" he said, with a huge grin. It quickly disappeared, however, when Mama Flyer shot him a scathing look.

"Or maybe not," Petrie said, quickly covering himself.

Finally, Cera stepped forward. Fyn braced himself for some kind of harsh comment, but it never came.

"I just wanted to let both of you guys know that we'll always keep you in our thoughts. Be safe out there, and find us a home."

"We will," Littlefoot said, just as surprised as Fyn was at Cera's change in attitude.

Cera nodded, she'd heard what she wanted, and stepped back into the midst of the gang. Before she stopped, however, she turned and said "oh yeah. Don't be stupid out there."

"_And there's the harsh comment. That's more like the old Cera_,_"_ Fyn thought, satisfied.

"We'll walk with you as far as the Great Wall," Ruby said, "then it's really 'goodbye'."

Fyn nodded, and turned to Littlefoot to see if he had acknowledged. Evidently he hadn't because he seemed to be staring off into the distance, slack-jawed.

"Littlefoot?" Fyn asked. He received no response.

"Littlefoot, are you listening to me?" His friend didn't answer. Instead he addressed Fyn right back.

"Fyn," he said slowly, "I think there's someone else that wants to say goodbye to us, and to you specifically."

"What do you mean?" Fyn asked, turning around to follow Littlefoot's gaze. Then he saw what he was looking at and nearly dropped dead out of shock and surprise right in front of his herd. Approaching slowly, supported by his mate and daughters, was Labon.

"I can't be-" Fyn whispered, "it's my dad, it's really- it's-"

"Dad!" he yelled, running towards his father. Labon looked terrible. His wounds were crusted over with some sort of strange fluid, and the skin around his eyes sagged. He was obviously still very sick, yet his eyes burned with a proud, unquenchable fire.

"Fyn," he croaked as his son approached. "Fyn, I'm glad you're doing this, and I'm very proud. This is what we all expected of you, and you met our expectations well." Labon shifted his head to look behind Fyn at Littlefoot, who was approaching.

"You as well, Littlefoot," Labon said, "Fyn was right to choose you. I couldn't have chosen any better myself. You two will do great things."

He coughed then, and winced with the pain, but opened his eyes again to look at the two dinosaurs who had been at his mercy only two days ago.

"You both went through Starfall together. That was a challenge- probably the hardest you've done, but remember: out in the Mysterious Beyond, things get harder. You're not little kids anymore. Running and hiding when you've got a herd to protect isn't an option. Be prepared to fight, be kind to others you meet, and most importantly, bring us home."

He smiled, then offered his last words to them.

"May the Bright Circle always guide your paths," then he winked once, and his family began to escort him back.

"Pull through for me, dad, okay?" Fyn asked.

Labon looked his son in the eyes, fixing his piercing gaze on him.

"I will," he said steadily, "that's a promise."

"Fyn, Littlefoot," Keva said as she started helping Labon away, "take care of yourselves out there. We will all be counting on you, and wishing you success. Good luck, and goodbye."

Fyn and Littlefoot nodded their heads respectfully. Salde and Rya, Fyn's sisters, uttered their parting statements as well.

"Be safe out there, big brother," Salde said, her eyes misty with tears.

"Yeah," Rya agreed, "and don't eat all of the green food wherever you decide to stop before we get there."

"Will do," Fyn said with a grin, "or rather 'won't'," he corrected himself.

Rya smiled and turned away. Fyn watched them go until Littlefoot spoke.

"The Bright Circle's starting to show. We need to get going."

"Right," Fyn said hastily. Littlefoot was right. Time was of the essence. He and Littlefoot went back to the herd and took their spots.

"Alright, Littlefoot," Fyn said, "I got to assemble them. Do you want to give the order to move?"

Littlefoot's eyes positively lit up with excitement. "Do I? Of course!"

"Go for it, then," Fyn said, standing aside and letting Littlefoot take his place.

Littlefoot stood in front of the herd, cleared his throat briefly, then threw back his head and let out a mighty bellow. Everyone heard, and Fyn was impressed. Slowly, the herd started to move, following Littlefoot first, then Fyn, who took his place again. Both dinosaurs were beaming at what they'd just done. Fyn looked over for a reaction from his friends. All but Cera were smiling. The Threehorn just rolled her eyes.

"Don't let it all go to your head," she said.

"Point taken," Fyn responded. Cera just muttered something under her breath. Fyn wasn't entirely sure what it was, but he assumed it wasn't worth trying to find out.

Ahead loomed the Great Wall. They would have to climb it to get to where they were headed. They would actually be leaving the Valley through the same entrance Littlefoot had used when he first discovered the place. Littlefoot hadn't been there in a while, but every time he did visit it, it always held memories. Some were good, others bad, but all of them seemed to reside there, perpetually swirling around, waiting for someone to come by so they could share their stories. Before long, they were at the Great Wall's base. They stopped briefly, to eye the climb they were about to face.

"Just like Starfall, eh Fyn?" Littlefoot asked.

"Indeed," Fyn responded. "Let's climb this thing."

They moved forward, and the herd followed. Fyn began searching for the best places to walk, selecting only patches of ground that were level, free of slipping hazards, or both at the same time, if possible. Process was slow; grueling, in fact. Finally, though, just as the Bright Circle was appearing on the horizon, they made it to the top. Littlefoot gazed in wonder. The last time he'd actually gone through this entrance had been a historic moment. Now, they would depart the Valley through it, as part of another historic event. He only hoped this one would end as well as the first.

"Let's go, Littlefoot," Fyn said from the mouth of the cave that marked the entrance, startling Littlefoot out of his reflections, "we can't hold up the line for too long."

"You're right," Littlefoot said, "it's time to go."

As they passed into the cave, the gang said their last goodbyes. They didn't know when they would see each other next, but both parties were confident that they would see each other again _sometime. _As the darkness of the cave swallowed himself and Fyn, Littlefoot couldn't resist one last glance back at the Valley where he'd grown up, and hopefully would eventually come back to continue to grow up in. When the Great Valley was finally out of sight, Littlefoot finally shifted his eyes back ahead, to the hostile and unforgiving world that would await them as soon as they stepped out of the cave.

...

Before long, Fyn broke out of the darkness of the cave and into the light of the dawning day. The herd and Littlefoot followed him out. They were finally in the Mysterious Beyond; the setting of countless scary stories, the place where he and his friends had so often snuck into, and perhaps most importantly, the home of the Sharpteeth.

Fyn stole a quick glance behind, to make sure the herd was doing well, and saw Littlefoot chatting with Alten, who had moved to the front of the herd. Fyn smiled. Alten was easy to get along with, and he'd brighten the mood of this journey easily. Unfortunately, as Littlefoot knew this area better than himself, Fyn had to bring him out of his conversation.

"Littlefoot," Fyn called to his friend, "I need you up here."

Littlefoot bid a hasty "goodbye" to Alten and rushed up to meet Fyn.

"What's up?" he asked.

Fyn gestured to the land in front of them. From what it seemed, they were in a very steep ravine, with no easy way out but to go forward.

"I've pretty much never been this way before," he said, "can you get us through here?"

"Absolutely," Littlefoot replied, taking the lead.

"Good," said Fyn, "we're going to need to find a way to turn around eventually. I think our first stop should be the Highmountains. You remember- the place where we met Terra, the Sharptooth, and saved all of those Fastrunners?"

Littlefoot nodded, recalling that particular adventure. That had been the first time Fyn had truly met Chomper and Ruby, and he'd distrusted them at first. By the end of the journey, however, they'd become friends. He remembered that the Highmountains were infested with Sharpteeth, too, but many seasons had passed since then. Perhaps they'd moved on by now. One could only hope.

Fyn followed his friend as he started walking at a brisk pace down the ravine's path. The soil here was rocky, and slippery, so the herd adjusted by slowing down slightly. A lot of dust was kicked up into the air, and it wasn't long before coughing set in. Fyn hoped they would be clear of this soon. This was getting tiresome already. Still, he was glad they hadn't encountered a Sharptooth so far. Things could certainly be worse.

It wasn't long before Littlefoot stopped ahead. Fyn halted the herd and walked over to him.

"What's the matter?" he asked, "why'd we stop?"

Littlefoot didn't answer at first. Instead he looked reverently at an enormous stone formation in front of him. Fyn gazed at it as well. Its shape looked familiar.

"Hey," he said, suddenly realizing what he was looking at, "that rock kind of looks like a Longneck."

"It does," Littlefoot said. "That was the last thing I had to look for to find the Great Valley. It's been a long time since I came here." He took in his surroundings slowly, scarcely breathing. "It's just so strange. Now that I'm here, it feels like I only got to the Great Valley yesterday."

"Yeah," Fyn agreed. For a moment, he forgot where he was, but one look back at the herd and he remembered.

"Come on, Littlefoot," Fyn said, pulling his friend's attention away from the formation, "we have to go. I'm sorry."

Littlefoot nodded, "it's fine. I just wanted to see it again, that's all."

The two moved back to the herd, and Alten was waiting for them.

"So, are we actually going to get on the move, or are you two just going to stop every few moments to sightsee?"

Littlefoot smiled, as did Fyn.

"We're leaving now," Fyn said, "and we won't stop again until we find food."

"Now that's more like it," Alten agreed. Fyn gave the call to move again, and they were gone, off down a new path leading back in the direction they came. Though it seemed unnecessary to travel in one direction first, only to travel back the other way, there was a reason for this course of action. The Mountains that Burn were extremely difficult to navigate through, and trying to take any path other than the known paths was flirting with disaster. Therefore, to ensure the safety and success of the herd, this was the only safe way to go. There was, of course, a faster way- an exit which was located under the Thundering Falls, but that particular passage was blocked, much to Fyn's utter disappointment. Still, at least they had _some _idea of where they were going. Fyn recalled when he first came to the Great Valley, and what a confusing mess this mountain range had seemed. It _still _was a confusing mess, in all honesty, but thanks to the directions he'd received from those who had traversed this range before, it was a little less confusing.

The morning moved forward slowly and uneventfully. There really never was much action out here, just outside the Great Wall, but Fyn was fine with that. Less action meant less danger. He hoped the rest of the journey would be the same way, but he knew better than to assume so. The Mountains that Burn held their own dangers, to be sure, but once they left the mountains, they were _really _fair game for any Sharptooth who happened to be in the vicinity, which would most definitely not be an enjoyable experience.

Finally, Fyn saw familiar ground ahead. He'd just seen where Littlefoot had first entered the Valley. Now he was about to see where _he_ had done it. The ground was getting sandier, softer, and Fyn knew, judging by the proximity of the Smoking Mountain, how close he was to the entrance he and his herd had used. He rounded a corner, sidestepping a large boulder, and saw it: the small cluster of trees, the pool which looked like a Longneck's foot, everything. It was all still here.

Fyn beamed and Littlefoot understood his happiness. It wasn't often one had the chance to walk the exact path they had taken to the Great Valley. He thought of saying something to his friend, but decided instead to just let him enjoy the moment.

Fyn _was_ enjoying the moment, but that wasn't entirely why he was smiling. There was another reason as well. This entrance to the Great Valley was close to the path that led out of the Smoking Mountains and to the Highmountains. They would be completely out in the Mysterious Beyond before the Bright Circle was at its highest. Tomorrow, they would reach the Highmountains, and if it turned out they were safe, they would stay.

"Keep your eyes sharp," Fyn said to Littlefoot, "we should be seeing our way out soon."

Littlefoot looked ahead, trying to spot the crevice that he knew was the way out. Here, it was hard to tell where rocks ended and passageways began. Everything looked the same.

"_Probably not a bad place for an ambush," _he thought to himself, shivering. _"If Sharpteeth only knew about this place..." _

He cut himself off before he could continue. Sharpteeth and ambushes were the last things he wanted to think about right now. Besides, if he didn't concentrate, he'd miss the passageway he was supposed to be looking for.

As it was, he almost did. The way out was a very thin crevice, and the rock on and around it blended so well, it seemed it wasn't even there at all sometimes. Fortunately, Littlefoot saw it at the last moment.

"There it is, Fyn," he said.

Fyn stopped and took a long look at their exit. "I remember this being a lot bigger," he said, finally.

"Yeah, well we were also a lot smaller when we last came through here."

"True enough," Fyn agreed, then turned to address the herd. They'd begun to talk amongst themselves, and when Fyn tried to speak, no one listened. Fyn tried again, but to no avail. This was really starting to annoy him. Finally, Fyn let out a loud, thundering bellow, almost a roar. Immediately, all talking ceased.

"Listen up!" Fyn said, speaking up so his voice could carry to everyone, "this is a very narrow passage, so I need everyone to partner up. We'll be going through in two lines. Follow Littlefoot and me."

He turned back to Littlefoot as the talking started again, quietly. The herd was obeying, and everyone was finding someone else to buddy up with for the passage. Slowly, Littlefoot and Fyn began the walk into the narrow ravine. Slowly, they moved forward. It was a simple task, at first, but after a while, the ravine began to seem endless. Fyn was coming close to falling asleep out of sheer boredom. All of that changed, however, when he and Littlefoot saw their first Sharptooth of the journey.

It was small, green and blue, and Fyn instantly recognized it for what it was. A long time ago, a pack of them had attacked him in the Highmountains. If it hadn't been for the quick intervention of Terra, a Sharptooth who had befriended him at the time, he might have died at their little claws. Afterwards, he'd found out that the little creatures were called Small Biters. He honestly didn't care. Ever since his encounter, he'd held a grudge against the little predators, and now he had the advantage: size.

"Get out of here," Fyn said, annoyed at the little Sharptooth standing in his way. "Move!" he gave it a kick, and the small dinosaur took off running with a screech, ducking into a little cave.

"Well," Littlefoot said, "there's our first Sharptooth."

"Can't they all just be like that?" Fyn asked.

"I wish," said Littlefoot with a smile. Up ahead, light was starting to show. They were almost out. Fyn checked behind to make sure the herd was still following; they were. In just a few short steps, they were finally out. Fyn and Littlefoot stepped to the side of the ravine's exit to let everyone out. When everyone was assembled, Fyn addressed them one last time.

"This is it. From here on out, we're committed. There's no turning back, there's no giving up. We have a job to do, and if we don't do it, dinosaurs will die. The Great Valley as we know it will die. _We _will die. I don't plan on dying out here, and I don't think any of you do either. Because of that, I want you all to watch out for two dinosaurs: yourself, and the dinosaur next to you. We stand a better chance out here working together. That means when it comes to anything- food-gathering, defense, looking for another place to live- you should all be supporting one another. Littlefoot and I will do our part, too. When we start walking again, I want each and every one of you to think about why you're doing this. I know why I am. I'm here because back in the Great Valley, my dad's sick, maybe dying. I'm going to find the Great Valley residents a new place to live for him. That's why I'm here. Now ask yourselves: why are _you _here?"

Fyn turned back to face the Mysterious Beyond. He gave the call to move ahead, and the herd proceeded.

The Bright Circle was high in the sky. The day was half-over, but the excitement hadn't even started yet.


	8. Chapter 7: The New Beyond

_Chapter 7: The New Beyond_

A furious wind ripped across the dry land of the Mysterious Beyond, carrying with it sand and dust, and mercilessly pounding the herd which was now traversing its territory. Sometimes, it seemed the wind had a mind and feelings of its own, and it obviously didn't like having its space intruded upon.

Littlefoot squinted his eyes to avoid a particularly harsh blast of wind and sand. It helped a little, but he could still feel the rough particles under his eyelids, which indicated the presence of wind-driven debris. He hoped they could find some rocks, or some other form of cover, but he knew his hopes were in vain. He'd walked this way before, and the land would probably remain flat until nightfall. Until then, he'd just have to grin and bear it. After all, if everyone else could take this, he could, too.

Littlefoot turned his head to try to avoid some of the debris flying his way, and that was when he first saw the Mysterious One.

He called the shape the "Mysterious One" in his mind, because he had no way of knowing what it actually was, and he hadn't seen it long enough to find out. Essentially, when he'd turned his head, he caught a glimpse of what looked like a dinosaur out of the corner of his eye, far away, and heading for the Highmountains. He wasn't entirely sure, but it looked a bit like a Sharptooth. It looked like it was standing on two legs, but it also appeared to be much more slender than the average Sharptooth. Littlefoot was only able to glimpse for a moment, though. A fierce gust of wind kicked more sand into his face, and he blinked instinctively. When he reopened his eyes, the Mysterious One was gone. He briefly considered telling Fyn about it, but thought better of it. It was entirely possible he'd only been seeing things. Supposedly, this part of the Mysterious Beyond (which Fyn called the Drylands) was notorious for playing tricks on one's eyes, especially if that someone was tired. Littlefoot didn't want Fyn to think he was already feeling exhausted, so he kept his observations to himself.

Before long, Littlefoot noted another strange sight: a dark shape in the sky, very faint and small, heading towards the herd from behind. He blinked, to see if this particular image was a trick, but when he opened his eyes, it was still there, and continually coming closer.

"Hey, Fyn!" Littlefoot said to his friend. Fyn who had been in a heat-induced daze, his gaze fixated forward for a while now, snapped out of his current state and turned to Littlefoot.

"What is it?"

"Look," Littlefoot said, indicating the shape in the sky. "Don't tell me you can't see that, too."

"See what?" Fyn asked, confused.

"That!" Littlefoot said frantically, gesturing towards the shape. He hoped he was actually right, and that he hadn't just wasted Fyn's time.

"Oh yeah, I see it now," Fyn confirmed, "but what _is _it?"

"That's what I'm trying to figure out," Littlefoot said, squinting and trying to make out the figure. As it came closer, Littlefoot realized what it was.

"It's just a Flyer," he said.

"Wait a moment," Fyn said, recalling something that had been said earlier. He looked back at the Flyer, concentrating. Then he broke into a grin..

"That's not just a Flyer. It's Petrie's mother!"

Now, Littlefoot recognized her- her thin, blue wings outstretched in graceful flight. She soared on through the sky, catching the warm air currents and drifting slowly towards the herd. Suddenly, she tucked in her wings, diving and picking up speed, then pulled up just before hitting the ground. She skimmed across the earth, passing most of the herd, then sharply caught the air with her wings and stopped mid-flight, landing in front of Littlefoot and Fyn.

"Greetings," she said.

"It's good to see you," Littlefoot replied, "what brings you out here?"

Mama Flyer shrugged. The others wanted me to check on you both, to make sure you didn't get lost in the Mountains that Burn. I was right, I suppose. You obviously didn't or you wouldn't be here right now."

Littlefoot smiled, but Fyn asked his next question with the utmost seriousness.

"What about my dad? How's he doing?"

The Flyer answered immediately. "He's still awake, which the healer says is a good sign, but he's pretty sick. I think they're going to try to clean his wounds today. I've got to say, your dad is pretty tough."

"So they say," Fyn said. "I think so, too."

"What's your plan so far?" Mama Flyer asked.

Littlefoot looked ahead in the direction they were traveling. "We're going to try to make it to the Highmountains tomorrow. If they're safe, they might be our best bet for a place to settle down temporarily."

"I see," Mama Flyer said, nodding, "well, I'll relay that information back to the Valley. Is there anything you or the herd needs?"

After a brief pause to think, Fyn answered "no, I don't believe there is."

"Alright, then," Mama Flyer said, "if that's all, then I'm going to head back to the Valley. I'll see you all soon. Have a good day."

"You too," Fyn and Littlefoot said as the Flyer spread her majestic wings wide and launched herself skyward, kicking up dust with her powerful wing-beats. Littlefoot and Fyn watched her go, and Littlefoot was already starting to realize just how much he missed the Great Valley. They carried on, but Littlefoot glanced back every so often, watching Mama Flyer as she journeyed back. Each time he turned his head, she was farther away, until at last, she disappeared from view altogether.

"Well, she's gone now," Littlefoot observed.

"Yep," Fyn said curtly.

Littlefoot decided, listening to Fyn's tone, that his friend was thinking through something and decided to leave him be. Instead, he checked the scenery here. There were craters, evidence of Flying Rock impacts, out here in the Mysterious Beyond too, it seemed. Apparently the Great Valley hadn't been the only place that suffered from the catastrophe.

"Check it out," he said to Fyn, indicating the craters, "the Mysterious Beyond got hit, too."

Fyn observed the damage and nodded. "Hopefully the Highmountains are still pretty much untouched. I'd hate to get there only to find out they were destroyed."

"Yeah," Littlefoot said, eyeing the Bright Circle. They still had more daylight left, but not much. They would need to stop soon after nightfall. Fyn noticed as well, and increased his pace slightly.

"Any ideas on where to stop?" Fyn asked Littlefoot.

"There should be some large rocks coming up soon," Littlefoot answered, trying to remember the details of his last journey here. "It's where the gang and I stopped."

"Excellent," Fyn said, "can you get us there?"

"Sure can," Littlefoot said.

"Then I'm turning leadership over to you for now," Fyn said. Littlefoot almost choked.

"To _me? _Are you sure?"

"Of course. There's no one else here who can get us where we need to go. I wanted you as deputy for a reason: you're a leader. Now you can show that."

"If you insist..." Littlefoot said slowly, switching spots with Fyn and starting to guide the herd to the right slightly. Fyn dropped back to Alten. As he approached, the Fin-Neck, many seasons his senior, addressed him.

"Something up, Fyn?"

"As a matter of fact, yes," Fyn said, adjusting his stride to match Alten's. "I wanted to talk to you about a position in the herd leadership."

"Oh?" Alten asked, "well I'm honestly flattered, but, I mean, you couldn't possibly want someone like me to-" he stopped short when he saw Fyn's eyes. They stared at him calmly, with an intensity, a degree of seriousness, that seemed to say that the younger dinosaur knew what he was talking about. Alten gave in.

"What sort of position?" he asked.

"I'd like you to be the herd's representative," Fyn said. "Littlefoot and I can't talk to everyone, or answer everyone's questions, so I decided the herd needs someone to represent them. You're a good speaker; I've seen and heard you, and I think your the best dinosaur for this position."

Alten considered this for a moment, then gave his answer. "Alright, I'll give it a try. When we stop tonight, I'll start getting to know the herd better. I suppose this is a learning experience for all of us. I've never lead anyone before, but I'll do my best."

"Of course you will," Fyn said, "you always have."

"Thanks," Alten said.

"Fyn!"

Fyn turned to face Littlefoot, who had just called his name.

"What is it?"

Littlefoot, without breaking stride, nodded towards a distant cluster of rocks. "That's where we stop tonight."

"Sounds good to me, bring us in!"

Littlefoot led the herd forward as the Bright Circle set, covering the Mysterious Beyond in darkness. Fyn was glad he'd let Littlefoot lead. If he'd lead, they might have missed this place, and been wandering around out here with the Sharpteeth all night. Littlefoot called for a stop as soon as they reached the rocks, and Fyn found a place to watch the herd settle in. Perhaps now, everyone could finally get some relaxation.

…

"I sure hope they're okay."

Cera was sitting up on a rocky ledge with her friends. In fact, it was the very ledge that she and the gang had once called their "hideout" shortly after arriving in the Great Valley. Just remembering such things was difficult and painful now, with the current state of the Valley. But, she reminded herself, it had happened before. Once, before Fyn arrived, Swarming Leaf Gobblers had eaten nearly all plant life in the Valley. Everyone had been forced to leave. In a way, this situation was similar, but on a much larger scale.

"They've been out in the Mysterious Beyond before," Chomper said, reassuringly. "I'm sure they'll both be fine. After all, Petrie's mother said they were doing well."

"I know, but it's hard. We always used to do these things together."

Ducky sighed from her perch atop a nearby rock. "Yep, yep, yep. It _is _hard."

"I know, guys," Chomper said, "believe me, but right now, the Great Valley needs us to do our part. We need to help the sick, and I'm sure there are still others who need rescuing."

"Right," Ruby said, determinedly, "if we're gone, and Fyn and Littlefoot are gone, then everyone will be gone and no one will be here to help."

"Exactly," Chomper said, then turned to Ruby, puzzled by what she'd said. "Wait, what? Never mind."

Cera let out a small chuckle at her friends' antics. They could still cheer her up despite everything else. Still, she felt strange for another reason, as well: she didn't feel like herself anymore. She'd always been the loud, outspoken, bossy one, and in all honesty, she liked it. How else was a Threehorn to keep a reputation around here? After the devastation, however, she'd found that side of her slipping away, as she put her own feelings aside to help others. The problem was, she couldn't just get mad anymore. The idea actually disturbed her, and she hoped that she could become her old self again soon.

Ruby looked up at the stars, gleaming brightly, defiantly, amidst the dark sky, looking for one in particular: Littlefoot's Star Day star. It wasn't long before she found it, and noticed that it would be in the proper place for Littlefoot's Star Day soon.

"We should hold a Star Day celebration for Littlefoot so his Star Day can be celebrated," Ruby observed.

"That a great idea!" Petrie said, speaking up for the first time that night, "but... when his Star Day?"

"According to his star, it will be in just a few more days," Ruby replied.

"We should definitely do it," Cera said, standing up and starting to smile, "the Great Valley could use a little cheering up."

"I'm in," said Chomper.

"And me," Ducky added. Spike nodded as well.

"Then it's settled. Tomorrow, let's start planning. We'll surprise the Great Valley with the best Star Day ever!"

…

Out in the Mysterious Beyond, Fyn watched as the herd began to settle in for sleep. They'd just eaten some greens that Littlefoot had discovered growing nearby, and though it hadn't been a full meal, it was the best anyone could do out here. Now, things were quieting down. Fyn himself was just about to fall asleep when someone cleared his throat behind him.

"Who is it?" Fyn asked, cracking an eye open.

"Your friendly assistant, Alten!"

Fyn lifted his head off the ground and slowly got to his feet. Alten was there, with a timid-looking, brown and tan Clubtail behind him.

"This is Ceph," Alten said, indicating the Clubtail who simply nodded, "he wanted to talk with you if that's alright."

"Well of course it is," Fyn said, smiling, "thanks, Alten. I knew I could count on you. Keep up the good work."

Alten nodded and smiled. "I'll see you in the morning. Let me know if you need anything."

"Sure thing," Fyn said. Alten headed back to his resting place, leaving Fyn with the newcomer. Fyn yawned and stretched, sitting up. He wanted to set a good impression, so he tried to look as professional as possible. The clubtail didn't speak immediately, so Fyn decided to initiate the conversation.

"So what brings you here tonight, sir?"

The Clubtail chuckled nervously. "Please, don't call me sir. I may be older, but you're still in charge of me. Just call me Ceph."

"Alright then, Ceph, what's going on?"

Fyn noticed that the Clubtail seemed very fidgety, going as far as to jump at the sound of a sudden snore coming from one of the sleeping dinosaurs.

"I just wanted to talk to you about your leadership."

"My leadership?" Fyn asked, confused. He'd been hoping for a simpler topic.

"Um... okay. What do you want to talk about?"

"Well, it's just that-" he began unconsciously tracing patterns in the dirt with his foot, "-I've never been led by someone younger than me before, and this is a really dangerous journey. Are you sure you can handle it?"

Fyn was confused for a moment, then smiled again. "Of course I can, is that all you were worried about si- I mean Ceph?"

"Well, yes, but it's just that I really want to come back from this alive, if you know what I mean. I've got a mate back in the Valley, and I want to see her again."

"I understand," said Fyn, moving closer. "This is a really risky trip, and I can't blame you for being nervous, but think about it. We're a pretty big group, and Sharpteeth tend to stay away from those. Also, no one's gonna attack out here. Just look at the place! Everything here was hit by the Flying Rocks, too. My guess is that whoever may have lived here before is long gone, now. Finally, remember that you're a Clubtail. Hurting you is next to impossible, and I can guarantee you'll make this journey alive. Trust me."

By the end of Fyn's statement, Ceph's breathing had returned to a normal rate, he'd stopped fidgeting, and he actually looked calm, now. Fyn hoped he'd placed confidence in him.

"Thank you, Fyn. I'll remember everything you said."

"Good," Fyn said. "Is that all?"

"That's it," the Clubtail said, lumbering off. "Goodnight to you."

"And you as well," Fyn said, yawning and laying down again. Counseling was something he prided himself at doing well. It probably wouldn't be the first time he'd have to do it on this trip, but he didn't mind. As long as his herd-mates were coming to him for advice, it meant they had faith in him, and faith was a necessity when performing a task as daunting as this.

As Fyn closed his eyes to the night sky, he wondered what excitement tomorrow would bring. If only he'd known what was about to take place only moments after he fell asleep...

…

The shadowy dinosaur slipped from rock to rock, watching the sleeping herd. When the one who appeared to be the leader fell asleep, he padded forward softly on his two feet, scarcely daring to breathe. The Night Circle's light revealed his silhouette, framed against the flat land. It was none other than the shape Littlefoot had named "The Mysterious One."

The Mysterious One moved into the herd with ease. Living in the Mysterious Beyond for as long as he had had taught him two very important skills: patience and stealth. He'd been waiting for the chance to see these newcomers all day, and now he finally had his chance. He had to be silent, to avoid waking anyone, but silence came easily for him. He spotted the leader and stepped over to him. When he stopped by his side, he looked at Fyn in amazement. Such bright colors, and what a remarkable sail! The Mysterious One had never seen this dinosaur's type before.

He began to think: if so many of them had traveled this far out into the middle of nowhere, there must be a reason. Perhaps they needed help. Perhaps they were slowly weakening. In any case, there were opportunities to be had. Big opportunities.

The Mysterious One cracked a smile, finally revealing his long, sharp teeth. There was no doubt about it. The teeth that reflected the Night Circle's light with their white radiance belonged to none other than a Sharptooth.

The Mysterious One decided then that he would follow the herd, stealthily as usual. They didn't know about the Highmountains, or what now lived within them. They weren't aware of the danger they would be in soon. Someone would have to stand by behind the action, waiting for an opportunity. What that opportunity was for, no one knew but the Mysterious One himself. Slowly, he slunk away, leaving everything as it had been except for one thing: a single footprint, left next to Fyn in the sand. The intruder was gone, perfect silence was restored, and the herd was peaceful again, at least for the time being.

…

The herd was on the move again before dawn broke. Littlefoot found it difficult to get up so early. The strain and pressure that had been placed on him over the last few days was starting to catch up with him; his muscles ached, his eyes wanted to shut, and he was only half-awake, it seemed. Still, it didn't look like Fyn was faring any better. Littlefoot decided to shut out his mental response to the physical exhaustion. Ahead, he could see a few mountain peaks- the Highmountains- appearing over the horizon. They'd be there before the Bright Circle reached its highest point.

Littlefoot was feeling a little anxious, however. Last night, apparently _something_ had come into the herd and left a footprint right next to Fyn's head. From the size and shape of the print, it was almost certainly a Sharptooth that was the culprit. The fact that this creature had boldly wandered into their midst bothered Littlefoot, and he couldn't shake the feeling that whatever it was was still following them. His thoughts returned again to the Mysterious One. Perhaps it really _was _real, and _it _had made the track. Anything was possible, he supposed.

The Highmountains came steadily closer and into focus. Now they could see the flat, dusty plain which surrounded them, and the thick trees, almost out of place in a location like this, which wrapped themselves around the mountains' bases. It still looked foreboding, especially with the damage it had sustained from the Flying Rocks, but Littlefoot reassured himself that whatever may have lived here was almost certainly gone now.

Littlefoot shivered as the wind picked up. The land was definitely growing colder, now. If they didn't stop soon, eventually they would find themselves out in the Mysterious Beyond during the Cold Time with nowhere to go. He hoped the Highmountains would work out, or things around here could get a lot more unpleasant.

"Finally," Fyn said, as the Highmountains came closer still, "we can get a good rest."

"We'll see," said Littlefoot, still wary.

"What's up, Littlefoot?" Fyn asked, looking concerned.

"Honestly, I don't know," Littlefoot answered. Some large dark clouds were moving in now, guided forward by the eerily whistling wind. Things were starting to become very ominous. Littlefoot took another look at the Highmountains, then continued.

"I don't want to say I'm scared of stuff that probably doesn't even exist, but that's kinda how I'm feeling about this place."

Fyn took another glance at the dark forest surrounding the tall, imposing mountains.

"I could definitely see how you might feel that way," he said, "but relax- I'm sure it'll be fine."

Littlefoot nodded, not convinced. He had a sense for trouble, it seemed, and right now, it was going crazy. Something was really wrong with this place, more so than it had been last time they came here, if that was even possible.

"Hey," Fyn said suddenly, "I've got an idea. We could all use a little motivation, right?"

"Well yeah," Littlefoot said, not seeing where his friend was going with this, "but what does-?"

"Just listen. What if we all raced to the trees? It could be a lot of fun!"

Littlefoot thought about it. In all reality, what harm could a little race do?

"Alright," he said. "I'm in."

"Good," Fyn said, turning to the herd and calling for a stop. Once everyone had stopped moving, he called out.

"Attention, everyone! It's been a pretty long and boring journey so far, so I've got an idea. That place-" he nodded towards the forest at the base of the Highmountains, "-is where we'll be stopping today and tonight, and it's not far. That being said, I'd like to offer the chance to have a bit of fun. Who wants to race there?"

He was met by a few smiles, but also some grumblings, most of which went something like "still a kid, I guess," or "obviously our leader can't even grow up." He ignored the naysayers and addressed those who expressed interest.

"Alright, then. Let's go!"

He took off running with the herd following. The smaller dinosaurs immediately took the lead, but it was a close race. Fyn looked back at the grumblers. Seeing everyone leave, they decided to start running as well, grudgingly at first. However, by the time Fyn, Littlefoot, and the rest of the front-runners reached the trees, he could see a smile on everyone's face.

"Fun, right?" Fyn said. "Let's go find a place to get some rest."

They ventured into the trees and into the darkness, not knowing what to expect around the next corner.

…

The Mysterious One couldn't believe it; they'd actually gone in.

He peered out from around a rock- his latest hideout- and watched as the tail of the last dinosaur in the herd disappeared into the dense foliage. What were they thinking? There were all sorts of dangers in there, which would make his job of catching up to them a lot harder. He briefly wondered if they were trying to shake him off, then dismissed the notion. There was no way they knew he was following them. He'd been too careful. Still, he couldn't be too sure. His best bet, he decided, risky as it was, was to follow them in.

He headed in the direction that the herd had gone, stepping into the trees himself. Now he couldn't help but wonder which of the strange and new dangers which resided here the herd would encounter first. None or few, he hoped. He wanted them alive when he found them.

…

Fyn brushed through the dense, green vines and leaves, trying to find a path. Despite the ruin the Flying Rocks had caused, this place was obviously still strong. Definitely a strong habitat. Now, though, he began to feel uneasy. Despite the place's definite lushness, perhaps even more so than the last time he and his friends had come here, things were very quiet. The usual chattering and shrill cries of small animals were absent. No sound but the occasional gust of wind was heard. Fyn shivered. Littlefoot had been right to be spooked by this place. It was definitely working on his nerves now.

He led the herd through the trees to a small clearing and stopped. The rest of the herd followed his example.

"We'll stop here," Fyn said. "Once everyone's settled in, I'll go scout the area out, to make sure it's safe."

Fyn heard murmurs of agreement, but when he looked over at Littlefoot, he noticed an expression of surprise on his friend's face, and it wasn't a good one.

"Something the matter?" he asked.

"Well, yeah," Littlefoot said, sounding a little miffed. "You never said you were going to go off on your own."

"I just didn't want to worry you," Fyn said.

"Well it's not working, because I am definitely worried, now. Can't you take someone with you?"

"I'm afraid not," Fyn said. "You're in charge while I'm gone. If anything happens, get the herd out of here."

Littlefoot "hmphed," but walked over to where the herd was gathered and took charge. Before Fyn could leave, however, he glanced back and called out to him.

"You'd better be back here before the Bright Circle goes down!"

Fyn winked. "You can count on it!" Then, with a mischievous grin, he plunged into the trees, not looking back.

…

The forest seemed quite different from how Fyn remembered it. Granted, he realized, he hadn't had much time to enjoy the scenery the last time he'd been around these parts. One tends to ignore such things when being attacked by a pack of Small Biters. Still, he was certain things had changed. For one, the air was thick with moisture, due in part to the massive increase in plant life that had obviously occurred here. So much green surrounded him that most of the time, he couldn't even see the Bright Circle. The ground was soggy, too, and he often found himself walking through some small, hidden marsh. Still, he hadn't encountered any Sharpteeth yet, which was a definite plus.

Fyn stopped at another clearing and finally got a good look at the tall, eerie mountains for which this place was named. He'd head for the mountains' base, he decided, and if he didn't see anything that looked overly dangerous, he'd head back and declare the place safe and fit to stay in.

Fyn started ahead again, once more finding himself enveloped by the muggy, green world of the forest. He was not alone.

…

The Mysterious One couldn't believe his eyes when Fyn ventured out on his own. What was he thinking? He briefly considered leaving him for... he didn't even want to think about it. Instead, he simply decided that he still needed this Longneck, and opted to keep following him. The Longneck was heading for the base of the mountains- the lowlands. He thought this place was safe. Ha! Once he went down there, he would truly find out just how "safe" this place really was. The dangers of the lowlands were the stuff of nightmares. No one went down there alone and survived. In fact, it was the lowlands and its residents that played a role possibly surpassing that of the Flying Rocks in magnitude in driving the dinosaurs that once lived here away for good. He shuddered to think of what he might face down there, in the warm, damp dark. Nothing pleasant, he knew, that was for sure.

…

Just as the Mysterious One had predicted, it wasn't long before Fyn had found himself in the lowlands. The transition into the mysterious region had been gradual, and he hadn't even noticed where he was going until just now. All it had taken was one look around for Fyn to determine that he was in a place where he'd definitely never been before. Maybe the last time he'd come here, this place had been different, but now, he found himself in nothing more than a massive, tree-enshrouded swamp. Darkness enveloped him, the air was musty, and when he wasn't wading through some sort of stagnant water, the ground was spongy underfoot. The silence was gone now, too. Fyn heard strange clicks and grunts, and the slimy slithering of some unknown creature as it slipped into the murky waters. This was most definitely not a friendly place.

He moved deeper in, hoping to find an end to the swamp, but luck was not on his side. The farther he went, the darker and more unfamiliar his surroundings became. He was beginning to feel that he was becoming lost. Several times he passed objects- a stump, perhaps, or an odd-looking boulder- which he could have sworn he'd seen before, but he had no way of knowing for sure.

Now, he was traversing the shoreline of a black, muddy pond, surrounded by drooping, slimy vines. Fyn glanced anxiously around. He had a bad feeling about this place, but he couldn't tell why. He should have listened to Littlefoot and taken a buddy, but now, he realized, that option was no longer available. As he walked on, breathing a little faster now, eyes darting to and fro, he suddenly heard a faint noise in the trees nearby: a rustling, skittering sound. If it had been somewhat louder, Fyn would have thought it to be a pack of Small Biters, but this sound was barely perceptible, and sounded different slightly. He saw a small movement ahead- something orangeish-brown disappearing into a clump of vegetation. He blinked. What had he just seen?

Now he was very nervous, but he had to know what he was up against out here. Fyn slowly crept forward towards the bush, preparing to be jumped by some terrible creature. He leaned closer, readying himself to brush the leaves aside. He felt his back tingling, and dismissed it as fear. He'd have to control that out here if he was to keep his bearing.

In one quick movement, he brushed the foliage aside, and came face-to-face with... nothing.

"Huh?" Fyn said, perplexed. He could have sworn something had just entered this little hideaway. Perhaps he'd been wrong. As he stood up, the tingling sensation on his back started up again. Fyn shivered. The feeling tickled, as if someone was slowly moving a Spiny-Leaf branch up his back. He chuckled slightly, assuming he must have backed up into a tree of some sort, and walked away, but as he moved, the sensation became stronger, almost painfully so. Now it was simply an annoyance. Fyn reached forward with his tail to scratch his back. He positioned its tip over his back, expecting to feel his own skin. He did not. Instead, his tail contacted something smooth and segmented. To make matters worse, when he touched it, it _moved. _Fyn froze, slowly turning his head around to see just what was on his back. When he turned fully around, he saw his new "friend" for the first time. And it was not happy.

Perched on his upper back, clinging to his sail with its multiple, pointed legs, was a massive Groundcrawler, about the length of one of his front legs.

"Aah!" Fyn shrieked, shaking the creature off and kicking it away. The Groundcrawler let out a shrill hiss and began to make wild, loud clicking noises. All around, the bushes began to rustle, and more clicks began to sound. Fyn was well aware of what was happening- he'd walked right into a trap.

A second humongous Groundcrawler dropped out of the forest canopy. Fyn saw it just in time and sidestepped out of the way. The creature hit the ground with a "thud," and immediately sized up Fyn. Fyn tried moving, but more Groundcrawlers were on their way now, surrounding him. Desperate, he lashed out with his tail, sending most of the terrifying creatures flying. However, the one in front of him remained, and it reared up, turning its frightening length into height. Fyn saw a pair of fangs, glistening with venom in front of its small, dark mouth. He could be a meal for these things for a long time, and he knew they wouldn't give up easily because of this. Bellowing, he charged, kicking the creature. At the same time, the giant Groundcrawler struck forward. As Fyn hit it, one of its fangs grazed his leg, scratching it. It wasn't much of a wound, and Fyn didn't even realize it was there until the venom began to take effect.

The pain was excruciating. It felt as if his leg was on fire. For now, however, all the pain did was aggravate Fyn even more. He whirled around wildly, stomping, kicking, hitting, but to no avail. The Groundcrawlers were regrouping, and continued attacking. Fyn, on the other hand, was growing tired. If something didn't happen soon, this battle would be lost.

…

Ahead, the Mysterious One could hear the sounds of a struggle. Judging by the clicking sounds and their current location, he concluded that the Longneck was being attacked by none other than the lowlands' resident nasties: the giant Groundcrawlers. He sighed and shook his head. This Longneck was making his mission much harder than it should have been. He headed towards the commotion, planning his next move. It was time for the big reveal. It would be here where his plan would either become a complete success or a total failure. Either way, the next few moments would be memorable.

…

Fyn shook off another Groundcrawler, and another. They were everywhere, it seemed, skittering over the ground, dropping out of trees, crawling out of bushes and tangled vines- no wonder the Highmountains' latest dinosaur residents had fled. This place was dangerous.

Fyn was right in the middle of shaking an attacking Groundcrawler off of his leg when he heard a sound that chilled him to the very bones. A high-pitched roar, almost a shriek, suddenly sounded from out of the trees nearby. They began to shake, and Fyn felt the ground trembling. Something big was coming this way. The Groundcrawlers apparently noticed, too, because several of them began to retreat. Then the foliage burst outward as a massive creature charged through it and stopped, surveying the situation. From its posture to its size, and finally up to its gleaming, sharp teeth, there was no doubt in Fyn's mind; he was staring down a Sharptooth.

**Like I said, I did a lot on this story; therefore, lots of updates very quickly. I hope you've enjoyed reading so far, and I look forward to continuing this story!**

**-YF**


	9. Chapter 8: When the Going gets Tough

_Chapter 8: When the Going Gets Tough_

Fyn looked in horror at the massive Sharptooth. Its body was slender, but large, and its teeth were long and sharp. It was covered in smooth skin, displaying faded white and blue markings, and a small, spiny sail covered its back. What terrified him the most, however, was that this dinosaur looked very similar to a Sail-Tooth, the type of Sharptooth which had invaded his old home in the Mysterious Beyond. Sometimes, he still saw them in his sleep stories, and the face of this Sharptooth was a very near match.

Fyn stepped back, prepared to fight, but it seemed the Sharptooth had other plans. It charged forward into the oncoming Groundcrawlers, swiping its massive hands (each of which contained one extremely long claw, Fyn noticed) into their midst and scattering the pests. Fyn couldn't believe his eyes. The Sharptooth was pushing through them without any fear or hesitation, and he was doing a pretty good job of it. When all of the Groundcrawlers were gone, the Sharptooth looked back up towards Fyn, panting, and fixed his gaze upon him, staring with his yellow eyes.

Fyn felt he knew exactly what was coming up next. Slowly, he lowered himself into a position to prepare for attack, raising his tail in warning. No attack came, however. Instead, the Sharptooth dipped his head in a friendly manner and slowly walked over towards the Fin-Neck.

"Greetings and salutations," he said in an accent similar to that of an Egg-Stealer, but much more pronounced.* "My name's Such."

Fyn's jaw dropped. He still couldn't believe it when Sharpteeth spoke to him in his language. One would have thought he'd be used to it, now, but such speculations would be wrong. Caught off guard by this Sharptooth's friendly gesture, he stammered:

"H- hi. Um, I'm Fyn. How are you?"

The Sharptooth grinned, exposing more teeth and unsettling Fyn. "Can't complain, I guess, even though you forced me into this ridiculous place to save your life."

"I wh- wait, what?" Fyn asked, turning his head sideways in confusion.

"That's right, I've been following you for a little while now. I really just wanted to see what such a big herd's doin' out here. It's a dangerous place, now more than ever." He squinted at Fyn. "How old are you, anyway?"

"Twelve seasons," Fyn responded proudly, puffing out his chest.

"Blimey!" said Such, "you're just a kid! _You're _the one that's in charge?"

"Well, me and Littlefoot," Fyn responded. Seeing the blank stare on Such's face, he added "Littlefoot's my friend, and he's also a Longneck."

"Ah," Such nodded knowingly, "and where is he now?"

"Oh, I left him back in a clearing with the herd," Fyn said, "he's taking command while I'm gone."

At Fyn's words, Such's eyes widened and his head snapped up. "Clearing?" he asked, warily, "what clearing?"

"Right inside the trees," Fyn said. "Why?"

Such shook his head. "We'd best be moving."

"We?" Fyn asked, very confused all of a sudden.

"Well, it didn't seem like you were doing so well getting out of here on your own, but if you don't want help, suit y'self."

Suddenly, Fyn wanted help very badly, even if it was from this scary-looking creature.

"Alright," he said, "come along, but no tricks."

"None at all, no sir. No funny business," Such responded. "Besides, and no offense to you, you Longnecks are some of the most terrible-tasting creatures in the world. I wouldn't come within a tail's length of one of you for a snack, nope."

"Thanks," Fyn said, cracking an awkward grin as they started heading back, "I think."

"No problem. Naw, Longnecks are nasty," he continued, "what I like is Scaly Swimmers."

"Scaly Swimmers?" Fyn asked the Sharptooth striding along beside him, "what are those?"

Such ducked to avoid a branch. "They're little creatures that swim around under the water, and they've got slippery scales all over their bodies."

Fyn recoiled in disgust. He knew what Scaly Swimmers are. "You eat _those?_ But aren't they... you know... slimy?"

Such grinned fiendishly. "The best ones are. It makes 'em slide down the throat easier." He smacked his lips with a hungry expression. It took Fyn's best efforts to keep from losing his meal he'd eaten earlier that day.

"Alright," he said, "so I guess you don't eat other dinosaurs. That's a huge relief, but how did you learn to speak Leaf Eater?"

"Picked it up out in the Beyond," Such said, shrugging nonchalantly. "It comes in handy every now and then, if I can get close enough to someone to talk. Unfortunately, most Leaf-Eaters run away when they see me. I mean look at me!"

Fyn sized Such up. The Sharptooth was tall and definitely scary-looking. He himself probably would've run away if he hadn't been attacked by the Groundcrawlers.

"Yeah," he said, noticing light ahead. They were almost out of the lowlands. "I guess you are pretty scary, but talking to you know, I don't feel that way anymore."

"Good," Such said. "It's so lonely out here. I can't really talk to any of the other Sharpteeth, because they all think I'm weak because of my choice of food, and all the Leaf-Eaters I try to talk to, well, you know what happens."

Fyn knew now, and he couldn't help but feel a little sorry for Such. "What about your family?" he asked, "do you have one around here?"

"Well, let me answer that question with another question," Such said, "you seen a pair of old geezerly Sharpclaws around here?"

"You've never met your family?" Fyn said in surprise.

"Never, but I'm always on the lookout for 'em."

Fyn nodded in understanding, and decided to change the subject to something else. "So you're a Sharpclaw, then."

"Yep," Such said, "and proud of it!"

They were close to the herd now, entering the trees which contained their resting-place. Suddenly, a loud, saurian shriek sounded dead ahead, followed by exclamations of shock and surprise. The sounds of the herd preparing for battle could be heard.

"That sounds like your herd," Such said, turning to Fyn. "You ready for the fight of your life?"

"A fight?" Fyn asked, now very worried. He'd never fought before. "A fight with what?"

"No time to explain," Such said, and he took off for the herd, uttering his sharp, screeching roar. Fyn shook his head and followed. It was time to see what his new friend could do.

…

In all fairness to Littlefoot, no one could have foreseen the attack. Things had started to get strange when Fyn left. Bushes rustled for no reason, some of the herd thought they heard footsteps, and there was a strange, unpleasant smell that lingered in the area. Littlefoot wandered the clearing a few times, in an attempt to find out just what was causing all of this, but he found nothing. Nevertheless, the strange sounds persisted for a while. Then, without warning, they stopped suddenly, and the silence that followed was the worst. Littlefoot had no idea what was going on, and was in the process of telling the herd to start standing lookout at the edges of the clearing when the chaos began. A hoarse, coughing sound echoed over the clearing coming from out of the trees. Littlefoot had heard that cough, and it filled him with fear. The only creature that was capable of making that sound was a Fast Biter. Despite his best efforts to alert everyone, he wasn't fast enough. They came from all sides, killing toe-claws extended, ready for a meal, and these Fast Biters were huge, as well. They were a light brown in color, with black stripes covering their bodies, and a scarlet mark on their throats, and they were truly fearsome. They attacked relentlessly and quickly, jumping onto backs, clawing at limbs, and biting onto whatever they could. Despite the chaos, the Fast Biters also managed to coordinate their attacks, some resting and looking for an advantageous position, with others providing a distraction. The attack was sudden and overwhelming. Littlefoot didn't know how long they'd be able to hold out, but he knew losing was a matter of "when" and not "if."

Then Such and Fyn arrived, smashing through the trees. They were only two dinosaurs, but they managed to catch the Fast Biters by surprise. Clearly, the Sharpteeth hadn't anticipated what could only be described as an assault from a Leaf-Eater and a Sharpclaw, most certainly from behind. Their hesitation was just what both parties needed. Littlefoot and the herd surged towards the attackers, while Fyn and Such attacked from behind, driving the Fast Biters into complete confusion. At first, Littlefoot had assumed Such to be an enemy, and prepared to send him away with a well-placed tail-swipe. Fyn, however, saw Littlefoot winding up for his attack, and quickly ran to him.

"He's one of us," he explained, kicking a nearby Fast Biter in the face.

"Okay, then! If you trust him, then I'm good," Littlefoot said, throwing a Fast Biter off of his back and throwing one into the air with his tail. "But if he attacks..."

"He won't," Fyn reassured him. At least, he hoped so. Such seemed to be having the time of his life chasing off Fast Biters and occasionally giving them a thorough smackdown with his deadly claws. Needless to say, it wasn't long before they tried to steer clear of him. Littlefoot was most impressed.

"Where did you find this guy?" he asked Fyn. The two were back-to-back, fighting off attacks from all angles.

"Long story," Fyn said, panting hard, "remind me to tell you about it sometime."

Littlefoot nodded, concentrating on the fight again, and his part in it. He was amazed how much Starfall had prepared him for this. He was using all of the tricks he'd learned during 's simulated Sharptooth attack, and they were working. So far, he hadn't even been scratched. Fyn appeared to be doing well, too, although he also seemed to be limping. There was a scratch on his leg with some sort of clear fluid around it, which Littlefoot assumed must have been the cause. He dismissed it. Such things could be taken care of later. As long as Fyn was holding his own, he wouldn't worry.

A Fast Biter jumped up for his face, and Littlefoot instinctively moved his head to the side, careful not to expose the throat, and that was when he first saw Such in action up close. The blue and white Sharpclaw came from out of nowhere, and hooked one of his long arms around the predator's midsection, ripping the creature from the air and throwing it away.

"Thanks!" Littlefoot said, in awe. Such simply dipped his head in acknowledgement, and proceeded to ram another approaching Fast Biter. What had started as a one-sided attack was quickly turning in favor of the Leaf-Eaters and their new ally. The Fast Biters were being beaten without mercy, and morale was going up now, with the change in battle. Finally, one Fast Biter, presumably the leader, screeched once and bolted for the trees. The others snapped their heads towards it, and followed, retreating into the woods. They were gone as quickly as they'd come.

"Haha!" Littlefoot laughed with joy and relief, running over to Fyn, "thank goodness you showed up when you did. Did you see what we did to those Sharpteeth? They won't be coming back for more!" In his excitement, Littlefoot forgot about Such, who was approaching from the treeline.

"Yeah, we did!" Fyn said, also grinning, "give me some tail!"

The two dinosaurs smacked their tails together, and everyone in the clearing began to cheer. Such walked up to Fyn and cleared his throat.

"Oh!" Fyn said, "I almost forgot-" he stepped between his friend and the Sharptooth. "Littlefoot, this is Such."

"How d'ya do?" Such said, grinning.

"He saved my life," Fyn added.

"Then he's a friend of ours as long as I can have his word that he won't attack us."

Such nodded appreciatively. "You've got it. I already explained to my friend here why I don't eat the likes of you. Too nasty."

"Well, that's a relief," Littlefoot sighed. Fyn suddenly winced, and his front leg with the Groundcrawler's bite shook uncontrollably. Such suddenly turned serious.

"Let me take a look at that," he said, bending down to Fyn's leg. Clear venom surrounded the wound, but the bite itself wasn't deep.

"It looks like you'll make it," he said quickly, "the wound isn't deep, and the poison didn't enter your body, but that's still a nasty scrape. Do you mind if I take a crack at helping it out?"

"By all means," Fyn shrugged, then winced. Such bent down again towards Fyn's leg and opened his jaw. As the teeth approached his leg, Fyn instinctively drew back. Such glanced up.

"Don't you worry about me," he said, "I can't stand Longneck taste, remember?"

"Right," Fyn said, shakily. "Right. I trust you," he said with more confidence.

Such nodded and continued. When he was close enough to the wound, he extended his tongue and licked it, effectively removing the poison. Contact with the area burned, and Fyn cringed briefly. It didn't seem like Such was having a grand time either. Every lick he took brought a fresh grimace to his face.

"What exactly happened?" Littlefoot asked, expressing concern.

"Littlefoot, lets just say that after careful consideration, I've decided not to endorse the Highmountains as the next Great Valley."

"Why? Littlefoot asked.

"I'm not so sure you want to know," Fyn said, "you really don't like Groundcrawlers, right?"

Littlefoot shuddered. "I don't. Those little things are creepy."

"Well, I met a few," Fyn said, "and believe me- 'little' is not a term I'd use to describe them."

Littlefoot's eyes widened. "How big were they?"

"As long as my front leg is tall," Fyn said.

"Yikes, we need to get out of here."

"Absolutely," Fyn said.

"l guess we'll just have to keep moving farther into the Mysterious Beyond, then," Littlefoot said.

"Mysterious Beyond?" Such said, standing up and spitting the remaining venom from his mouth, "you taste terrible, by the way," Such added to Fyn, who couldn't resist cracking a smile.

"Yep," Littlefoot said, "we're looking for a new home. Our old one was destroyed when the Flying Rocks hit."

"Ah," said Such solemnly, recalling that fateful night. "You know, if you ever needed a guide..."

"You'd offer to be our guide?" Fyn asked, rotating his leg. It felt much better, with most of the venom gone now.

"Sure, in fact, I'd love to!" Such said. "It's so lonely out here, and I'd love to travel with you, if nothing else than for the company. I can offer protection, too."

Fyn looked at Littlefoot and raised his eyebrows, then turned back to Such.

"I'll discuss this with my deputy, and I'll give you an answer in a few moments." He turned and headed for the treeline with Littlefoot.

"What do you think?" he asked, when they were in the shadow of the trees.

"I don't know," Littlefoot said, "he seems nice enough. He saved your life, you said?"

"Yeah, he did," Fyn said, glancing briefly back at Such. The rest of the herd had given him a wide berth, and many of them were talking in hushed voices and looking at the Sharpclaw suspiciously. "Plus, I think he knows his way around here pretty well. He could save us a lot of time."

"Alright," Littlefoot said, "so we keep him?"

"We keep him," Fyn confirmed. The two walked out of the shade towards Such. The dinosaur noticed them approaching and looked towards them.

"Such, we'd be honored to have you travel with us," Littlefoot said.

"On the condition that you do not attempt to harm any of the herd, and abide by our rules," Fyn added.

"Of course I will!" Such said, excited. "Oh, this is going to be great! I've never traveled with a herd before! Yahoo!" He raised his claws to the sky, turned around, and jumped for joy.

Fyn couldn't help but smile at the Sharpclaw's childish excitement. "Turn around, Such," he said, "let's introduce you to the herd."

Such obliged, and turned, still sporting a wide grin. When he saw the rest of the herd, however, his grin dropped slightly. Everyone was either eyeing him with a look of distrust, fear, or loathing. They most certainly did not seem to want his company.

"Everyone," Fyn said, "I have an announcement to make. This is Such," he pointed with his tail towards the Sharpclaw, "he's going to be our guide. I'd like all of you to show him the respect he deserves. Yes, I know he's a Sharptooth, but he doesn't eat other dinosaurs. In fact, he'll go out of his way to protect us, if need be. Let's set a good example for everyone back in the Valley and include him in our herd. He may be different, but now he's one of us."

He turned to Such, "Thanks again for doing this."

Such nodded, "no problem."

Now it was Littlefoot's turn to address the herd. "As most of you have already guessed, we're leaving the Highmountains. This region is too dangerous for us to live comfortably until we can return. With that in mind, get ready to leave, because we'll be pressing on. Such will guide us through the Mysterious Beyond. Give him your best attention and respect. That's all. Let's get out of here!"

The herd began to turn towards the trees, back the way they had come, each dinosaur forming up in his or her usual position. Fyn spotted Ceph, the Clubtail he'd spoken to the previous day. He seemed angry, but it was anger born of fear, not of hate. As Ceph passed by, he spoke.

"Bad move, Fyn, including that Sharptooth." He said nothing more, just hung his head and walked away. Fyn glared at his back. What right did he have to-?

"Let it go, friend," Such said.

"Yeah, he's just scared," Littlefoot said. "He'll come around sooner or later."

Fyn watched Ceph take his position. "I hope he does," he said, walking to the front of the herd with Fyn and Such, "because if he doesn't, this journey's going to get a lot harder."

…

Petrie watched from above as Spike placed the final stone on the large construct with his mouth.

"Closer," he said, squinting, "closer. A little to the side- keep going... Stop!"

Spike stopped pushing the rock and glanced up at Petrie with his typical, friendly grin.

"That look perfect, Spike!"

"And it looks just as good from down here as it must look up there!" Ruby said, standing with her hands on her hips and admiring their latest creation. The three of them had been working on building a rock pile that looked like Littlefoot; decidedly a daunting task, but they managed to pull it off nicely. They'd gone around collecting the rocks the previous day, and today they'd all woken up early to start building. Right now, Cera, Ducky, and Chomper were busy gathering flowers and other sorts of garnishes for the pile.

"Me like it, too!" Petrie agreed, swooping down and landing at the pile's base. "Me hope everyone else agree."

"Oh I'm sure they will," Ruby said confidently. "If they agree, they couldn't possibly disagree, and if you agreed, then they'll almost certainly agree!"

Ruby beamed at her observation.

"Hey guys!" a voice sounded from the bushes, "I've got the decorations!" Cera came tromping through the bushes and an expression of shock and horror registered on Ruby's face.

"Noooo!" she screamed as Cera plowed forward, pell-mell towards the rock pile. Cera saw it just as she was about to crash and skidded to a halt, dust covering Ruby. The pink Fastrunner flinched as Cera finally stopped.

"Whew," Cera said, looking up at the "Littlefoot Rocks," "that was a close one!"

"You say that again," came a muffled voice.

"Huh?" Cera said, "who said that? Petrie, is that you? Where are you?"

"Under you," the voice said again, straining and clearly in distress.

"Oops, heh heh," Cera said, standing up. When the dust cleared, Petrie was revealed, thoroughly smooshed into the ground. Apparently, Cera had run him over during her panic stop.

"You alright?" she asked, nudging the crumpled Flyer to his feet.

"Yep," the Flyer said hoarsely, weaving from side-to-side, "me okay. Oohoohoo." Without warning, Petrie collapsed yet again. Cera decided to ignore him this time.

"That's pretty neat," she said, turning to Ruby and examining the rock pile.  
"Thanks!" Ruby said, "I think it'll do nicely."

"And here are the decorations," Cera said, picking up a pile of brightly-colored flowers and berries and placing them at the pile's foot.

"Perfect," Ruby said, "now we-"

"Good morning, everyone!" Now it was Ducky's turn to come careening through the trees.

"Stop, Ducky! Be careful!" Ruby said, worriedly clutching her face, eyes wide.

Ducky saw the pile early when she came into the clearing and stopped.

"Wow," she said, "that looks great, it does."

"Thanks," Ruby said shakily, wiping her brow and sighing. Despite everything, the pile was intact. Guarding it was her responsibility, so how was she going to manage that with all of the commotion going on?

"Chomper should be coming soon," Ducky said, glancing back the way she'd come, "he had to talk with Littlefoot's grandpa about something."

Ruby nodded, then her eyes widened. If Chomper came in here at top speed...

A rhythmic booming began in the distance; faint at first, but growing. Ruby's jaw dropped.

"Oh no."

"Hello, everyone!" a loud, unmistakable voice boomed from within the jungle.

"Chomper!" Ruby practically squeaked, "watch out!"

The blue Sharptooth burst into the clearing, faster than anyone else had, and Ruby already knew there would be no way he could slow down in time. Chomper saw the obstacle ahead and immediately tried to stop. His efforts were in vain however. Ruby covered her eyes as Chomper came closer still, trying to stop. Then, just as he was about to destroy the gang's creation, he gave a mighty leap and cleared the rocks with grass-lengths to went completely limp, wobbled around for a moment, and collapsed against a tree. Chomper grinned bashfully.

"Um, sorry, Ruby. I guess I should have watched where I was going. Looks good, that's for sure!" he said, observing the rock pile.

"Thanks," Ruby said, still shaking.

"It's the perfect thing to have when Bron comes here," Chomper concluded.

Cera spat out the greens she was eating. "_Bron's _coming?" she asked Chomper, surprised.

"Well, yeah," Chomper said, "don't you remember when Littlefoot told us his dad would be coming by for his Star Day?"

"Oh, that right!" Petrie said, standing up and dusting himself off. "He _is_ coming!"

"But what do we tell him about Littlefoot?" Ducky asked, worriedly clenching her hands together.

"The truth, I guess," Chomper said. "He'll find out eventually, anyway."

"That true," Petrie agreed.

"Okay, then," Cera said, "but I'm not going to be the one to tell him."

"Me neither," Petrie agreed.

"Come on, everyone," Ducky said, "we should not be scared. Bron is nice, yep, yep, yep. He would want us to tell him where Littlefoot is."

"I suppose you're right," Cera agreed. Her stomach suddenly rumbled. "Whoa, I'm hungry."

Ruby laughed, "If your stomach says you're hungry, then hungry you must be! Let's get food!"

Her suggestion was met with agreement from everyone, and the gang began to move out, heading for the Treestar trees. Ruby stood guard by the rockpile while everyone walked out. They'd spent too long on this just to have an "accident." When Ducky, the last of the gang, was out of the clearing, Ruby breathed a sigh of relief and leaned over, forgetting what she was leaning against. She put a claw out and rested it on the Rockpile. No sooner had she realized her mistake, then the entire structure collapsed!

Ruby just stared, eye twitching at the sight, and sighed.

"Oops," she said, grinning slightly, and shrugged, walking off to join her friends. After all, it was just a pile of rocks. The real Littlefoot was much more important.

…

Littlefoot, in fact, was doing well for the moment, unlike his stone counterpart back in the Great Valley. He and the herd had finally stopped for the day. True to his word, Such had led them far from the Highmountains. Now, they were stopped, in a small glade surrounded by a circle of rocks, hunkering down for the night. Littlefoot smiled. It was almost like being in a miniature Great Valley. He sat down close to Fyn and Such, who were making sure everyone else was going to sleep, and stared up at the night sky. The night was clear, and a crisp chill surrounded him. He could see his breath in the air. What captivated his attention most, however, was the sight of the stars- shining brightly, stretching endlessly towards the horizon. He turned to Fyn and Such.

"Either of you ever seen a sight like that?"

"Huh?" Fyn asked, turning to his friend. Then he looked up to where Littlefoot's gaze was resting. Such did the same. As Fyn saw the stars, Littlefoot could see his mouth slowly hanging open.

"Wow," Fyn whispered, "that _is _incredible." Such nodded nearby.

"Ever wonder what those stars really are?" Littlefoot mused as in the distance, a Flying Rock whizzed by- an innocent reminder of why they were out here.

"Um... the stars are stars?" Fyn said.

"Well, I know," Littlefoot said, "but they're so far away- wouldn't you like to find out what they actually look like up close?"

"Not sure I would," said Such. "I like it just fine here on the ground, thank'ya very much."

"Hm," said Littlefoot, "well, _I'd_ still like to know." He shifted for comfort, and shivered slightly. There was no doubt about it, now. The Cold Time was here, and the weather was only going to get colder from here on out.

"You know," said Such suddenly, "I've heard of a place where the sky glows with colorful fire, and it's just cold enough that most Sharpteeth avoid it."

"Sounds cool," said Littlefoot, distracted by the sky.

"Wait," said Fyn, "you said Sharpteeth _avoid _it?"

Such nodded. "Yeah, but what's that got to do with anything?"

Littlefoot caught on to what Fyn was thinking. "Such, you're brilliant!" he said, "that's where we need to go!"

"Do you know how to get there?" Fyn pressed.

"Well, not exactly," Such admitted. "I just know the direction it's supposedly in. I don't even know if it's real."

"Well that's not a problem," said Littlefoot, "we've been living in a place no one thought was real for the past few seasons."

"It's supposed to be a pretty hard journey," said Such, "are you sure you two youngsters can commit to it?"

Littlefoot and Fyn looked at each other, each seeing the same thing in the other's eyes: determination to finish the task at hand and bring the residents of the Great Valley to peace. They had already learned what their teamwork could accomplish. Now they could put that teamwork to the ultimate test.

"We can," said Fyn confidently.

"Very well," said Such, "then starting tomorrow, that's where I'll take ya."

Littlefoot turned his gaze back to the sky. He and his friend had just committed to a long and difficult journey, about which the herd was almost certainly going to be displeased. Still, it had to be done.

The stars shone on, their brightness standing out against the black, endless sky. Seeing them, in their practical insignificance compared to the space around them, Littlefoot was reminded of himself. He was small, a speck of dust compared to the wide world around him. Once again, he was prompted to ask himself a question he'd asked many times before: could he really make a difference?

"Goodnight, guys," Littlefoot said to Fyn and Such as he rolled over and closed his eyes, ready for sleep. He knew the answer to his question already, and it was that very answer which he knew would inspire him to keep going tomorrow and the day after, and the day after that. Sighing, he laid his head down and felt the cool sand on his cheek. It was time to rest once again.

*Such's accent can be compared to a modern-day Australian accent.

**Hello again! I'm back, and it looks like for good this time. It's great to see everyone reading and writing as always. In fact, it seems in my absence that quite a few excellent stories popped up. At any rate, if you're following this story, please review if you can! Also, this story is entered in the Fanfiction Voting competition on the Gang of Five forums. If you're a member and reading this, please vote! I just need one to be eligible! Thanks guys and gals!**


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